The world of art theft is fascinating and quite movie worthy. The Thomas Crown Affair remake starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo is neither fascinating, nor movie worthy.
The first problem I have with this movie is the "painting star" of the movie, which they indicate is a small landscape by Monet that began the Impressionist movement. The painting in question is supposed to be Monet's Impression: Sunrise but is in fact a bad copy of a Monet Cathedral painting.
The real painting Impression: Sunrise is housed in Paris' Musee Marmottan. Perhaps the museum did not want to lend the image of the painting for the movie or perhaps filmmakers decided the "real" painting was not beautiful enough or recognizable to be movie worthy? Whatever the case, my ability to suspend my disbelief begins here.
Pierce Brosnan plays bazillionaire Thomas Crown who is also an art worshipper. We are never told of his motivations and of what inspires him about art, so much so that he is also a part-time art thief. Rene Russo plays the smart, sassy art insurance detective who knows he stole the valuable painting and tells him up front he is under scrutiny. And then she gets involved with him. Again, I'm having a difficulty with the suspension of disbelief.
The original movie, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway garnered an Academy Award for best original song, (Windmills of Your Mind) and was nominated for Best Score. Sean Connery also turned down the lead in this film, a decision he later regretted.
The real story of the Thomas Crown Affair was inspired by the heist of the Belgian playboy Tomas Van Der Heijden, who rigged a special dunebuggy to successfully make off with seven Renoir paintings from the Louvre in 1961. So where was the dunebuggy in this film? It would have made for a great chase scene, Hollywood-style but perhaps it is too déclassé for us to imagine a wealthy art thief in such a plebian vehicle. Surely that is what Pierce Brosnan's mom said when she saw this remake. ;-) Brosnan, especially, adds class to this movie that has too many question marks all over the plot.
This new version stars Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Faye Dunaway, Denis Leary, Fritz Weaver, Ben Gazzara and Mark Margolis.
Another movie about art and crime is Orson Welles, F Is For Fake.
