The Thomas Crown Affair
Date viewed: November 26, 1999
Location: Air France Flight 08

Watching a movie on an airplane always seems to tint the film for me. I suppose that since there isn't anything else to do, I delight at any diversion from repeatedly reading the safety card in the seat pocket in front of me or practicing origami with the air sickness bag.

Keeping that in mind, I really enjoyed The Thomas Crown Affair. Pierce Brosnan stars as Thomas Crown. He's a rich (really, really rich) business man that has the world at his fingertips and has fabulous taste in food, clothes, art and women. He also has a quaint little hobby of stealing masterpieces from museums.

Pierce pulls a major heist and Rene Russo is called in to investigate for the insurance company. I could stop right here because Miss Russo is so fabulous, she alone is reason enough to see the movie. Her clothes - my Lord her clothes! She wears enough sassy designer outfits to fill Pamela Anderson Lee's brassiere closet! Miss Russo's hair is to die for. She tosses it around as seductively as a black, feather boa in each scene.

Ever so predictably, Rene falls for Pierce - or perhaps it's Pierce that falls for Rene. All sorts of semi-suspenseful scenes ensue. Will she forget her duty to uphold the law and run off with him? Will he reform his wicked ways and settle down into domestic bliss? Oh gee! These two are so beautiful you know they'll end up together. Just watching how it happens is the fun of the movie. Don't even try to figure out how the heist and the follow up crimes are pulled off. It will tax your brain and it really doesn't matter.

Bonus points for the washed-up Faye Dunaway as Pierce's shrewish therapist.

Extra bonus points for Sting singing "Windmills of Your Mind" during the closing credits.

Listen to me: Any movie featuring a scene with Pierce Brosnan wearing only a smile and a sarong is well worth your time.

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