Businessman and billionaire Thomas Crown has everything he wants money is nothing to him. One side part of his life is stealing valuable works of art. In an elaborate set-up, Crown manages to steal a painting from a New York gallery without detection. However insurance investigator Catherine Banning suspects him and pursues him. Crown falls for her, realising the fun he can have with a worthy adversary. However as their relationship becomes more serious, Catherine also begins to close the web on Crown but which way will she go with him?
I ignored this in the cinema due to fairly average reviews and likewise video didn't entice me. However free on terrestrial yeah, I'll take that! So I settled down to something that immediately set itself out to be fresh, slick and light with a jazzy credit sequence and a glossy (without being OTT) little robbery sequence. So far so good. The middle section is not quite all it could have been but it is still good. It does get a little heavy and slows the film down and the romance between the two leads doesn't quite wash at every turn, but they toy with each other well enough to keep the interest.
The climax is pretty cool and clever and it is refreshing that the film never falls into big action set pieces to win over the audience instead keeping it glossy and slick throughout. It is quite something to find a thriller of sorts that is for grown ups and not teenage boys who NEED something to blow up every so often. The plot here is robust enough to meet the film's needs but is a little too slick to be examined too closely. But take this as what it is slick adult popcorn seller and you'll enjoy it. It is breezy and enjoyable.
As Crown, Brosnan exudes charm and smoothness but also is able to put an edge on it to show that Crown is not happy even when he has the world. Russo gives a better performance than I've come to expect from her but is still a little out of place in the film. She isn't totally convincing and I became annoyed by the regular appearance of her tits in the film did it really help the film I wondered? Maybe once it was natural in the scene but the rest just seems like a cry for an audience. Leary does sterling work as Det McCann, although he isn't funny he is a strong serious actor and carries the role well. The support cast are all pretty good and Dunaway's cameo adds to the slick feeling rather than standing out awkwardly.
Overall this film will please you if you know what to expect. If you want something wonderful or meaningful then this will let you down. However, if you're ready for a slick, glossy bit of entertainment that will engage without challenging then this should be more than enough to pass a wet Saturday afternoon.
