04/10/06 The Thomas Crown Affair

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), directed by Norman Jewison

watched solo; DVD (borrowed from parents) @ home

Considering Hollywood remade this heist movie in recent years, you would think that this has to be a classic of the genre. Well, at least it's a solid entry into the genre. The beginning and the end of the film are probably the most exciting and fresh parts of the film's entirety. Quick scene cuts and totally 60's split screen fade-outs dominate the height of the chase, as a group of well-dressed men enter a bank, rob it in broad daylight & get away with it. At the head of the crime team is bossman Thomas Crown (cool as a cucumber Steve McQueen) who masterminds the whole thing, while keeping his nose clean of the mess...or so he thinks. Soon, insurance investigator Faye Dunaway is hot on his tail, and hot on his tail (if you know what I mean). Trying to infiltrate his scheme and find out the truth, Dunaway becomes engrossed in a love affair with McQueen, all the while trying to do her job and report it to the authorities. This middle part tends to drag on with the usual love interest steering the main focus off the caper. Just like the Affleck/Beckinsale/Hartnett romance was so appealing, that we were supposed to believe that was the only part of historical significance in "Pearl Harbor," we start to drift away from the most intriguing part of the story. However, director Jewison brings us back to the basics of one last heist to leave us wanting more at the end of the film...and giving it a much truer ending than most. It's ultimately the hip-daddy era of the 60's that's permeating the cool of the film, and causing it to be a true influence on crime cinema in the vein of an "Ocean's Eleven."

3 out of 5 stars