I saw this version of "The Thomas Crown Affair" before renting the McQueen/Dunaway version. Having seen them both now I can say honestly that I find the remake [surprisingly] superior to the original.
As a big fan of Steve McQueen, and as an even bigger fan of nuanced caper flicks of the late 60's / 70's, I have to admit I was flummoxed by my own conclusion here. But so be it. I found the original a bit uneven, a bit tedious--and the relationship between McQueen and Dunaway frankly wasn't as interesting as the Russo/Brosnan coupling, though ordinarily I'm not a huge fan of either actor. The cat and mouse game between the two is nicely orchestrated, and the action is frenetic and slick. The film has a nice visual feel to it, as well--sleek and classy.
Not sure Dennis Leary's character added a whole lot to the proceedings (and I usually like him), but overall the film makes for an enjoyable evening's viewing.
As a big fan of Steve McQueen, and as an even bigger fan of nuanced caper flicks of the late 60's / 70's, I have to admit I was flummoxed by my own conclusion here. But so be it. I found the original a bit uneven, a bit tedious--and the relationship between McQueen and Dunaway frankly wasn't as interesting as the Russo/Brosnan coupling, though ordinarily I'm not a huge fan of either actor. The cat and mouse game between the two is nicely orchestrated, and the action is frenetic and slick. The film has a nice visual feel to it, as well--sleek and classy.
Not sure Dennis Leary's character added a whole lot to the proceedings (and I usually like him), but overall the film makes for an enjoyable evening's viewing.