Hey there everyone... Harry here with Banky to give out his opinion on this early test screening of THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR. I'm a bit of a fan of the original... and well... I wasn't too high on a remake, but I like John McTiernan and Pierce Brosnan so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.. but doubt isn't in Banky's world... he's seen it, and here's what he has to say. Remember... it is not the finished film... and many things like the score, effects, and final editing are yet to be done. Enjoy...
I wanted to send in a review of The Thomas Crown Affair, which I saw a few weeks ago. At the screening I saw, they said that the filming had just been completed two weeks before and the film was in a very rough cut. A score from The Firm was used as accompaniment. The film clocked in at just under two hours.
The film still needs a little work, but could be one the summers bigger movies if cleaned up correctly.
THE SCRIPT AND THE ACTORS:
Pierce Brosnan was excellent in the title role of Thomas Crown, a millionaire who gets bored with his daily life and decides to steal a priceless painting. Rene Russo was good in her part of the insurance investigator who tries to track down Brosnan. The chemistry between Russo and Brosnan was good. Dennis Leary plays a small role of the police detective on the case. The script does not give Leary any room to really make his presence felt. Leary is often stuck with cliched lines that really don't work that well. Faye Dunaway plays Brosnan's psychiatrist and is quite terrible. She should be a major concern for McTiernan and company as she is the biggest problem in the film. Every scene with her just doesn't work and is not needed for the plot. She should be cut from the film completely. She was in the original (I have not seen it), which might explain why the filmmakers tried to toss her into this version.
THE SPECIAL EFFECTS:
The special effects, although not extravagant and not really needed, worked well. There was one scene with Brosnan sailing that didn't seem complete.
THE STUDIO'S CONCERNS:
It seems that the studio is weary of a few scenes in the film. Most of them deal with Rene Russo being naked. The film had one of the longest love scenes I have ever witnessed. There was also a dance scene between Brosnan and Russo that was good, and the dress Russo wore was black and see-through. The final scene left a few unanswered questions and I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to reshoot it.
OVERALL OPINION:
Overall, the film was a lot of fun to watch. The plot had many twists and turns and really flowed. With a little fixing, this might turn out to be a stand out film among an overcrowded summer lineup.
Just call me Banky
