The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) User Reviews (189)

A Triumph of Style over Substance- but with style like this, who's complaining?

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 30 August 2005]

Thomas Crown is a Boston financier who organises a daring bank robbery. This crime is not committed because he needs the money- he has made a large fortune from entirely lawful activities- but because he is bored with life and needs excitement. The police are in the dark as to who might have been responsible, but the bank's insurers are determined to recover their money and appoint Vicki Anderson, a tough female investigator, to look into the affair. Vicki soon comes to suspect Crown, but cannot prove his involvement, and so a game of cat and mouse begins between them. Vicki makes contact with Crown, hoping that he will give himself away, but he is well aware of her suspicions and is too clever to betray himself. They find themselves attracted to one another and eventually begin a love affair, leaving Vicki torn between her feelings for Crown and the job she has been assigned to do (in which she also has a financial interest, as she has been promised a percentage of any money she recovers).

The above scenario is, of course, implausible, but this is not a realistic film. It is a glossy colour supplement of a film that one watches not for realism or for its plot but for an atmosphere that has been described as the epitome of sixties cool. The trappings of Crown's millionaire lifestyle are much on display- his expensive cars, his luxuriously furnished penthouse apartment, his Cape Cod beach-house, his private glider, his games of golf and polo. (His surname is significantly derived from a symbol of wealth and power). The two leading actors, both iconic figures of the sixties, are perfectly cast. Steve McQueen was known not only as the Cooler King (his role in "The Great Escape") but also as the King of Cool. He was normally cast in "tough guy" roles, but here he broadens his range by taking on the role of a suave, wealthy playboy (although still with a hint of toughness), the sort of man every man wants to be and every woman wants for herself. Faye Dunaway was perhaps not a classical beauty in the style of some other sixties icons such as Raquel Welch or Julie Christie, but few actresses were better than she at conveying elegant, sophisticated glamour.

Everyone who sees this film seems to remember it for the same three things. First, there is director Norman Jewison's use of the "split screen" technique during the robbery and in the scenes of the polo match. This has been criticised as a gimmick, but I found that it did help to give these sequences a greater sense of urgency and rapid movement, a sense also heightened by Michel Legrand's driving musical score. (Legrand also provided a similar score for the British film "The Go-Between"). Second, there is the famous scene, full of sexual symbolism and suggestion but without any overt sexual content, where Vicki seduces Crown- or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they seduce one another- over a game of chess. (Faye Dunaway was at her best here). Third is the well-known theme song "The Windmills of Your Mind". The song's rather enigmatic lyrics do not have any direct reference to the plot of the film, but it fits the general mood perfectly, particularly as the plot itself is often enigmatic.

The sixties were the golden age of the heist movie with films such as "Topkapi", "The Biggest Bundle of them All" and "The Italian Job", all of which featured daring robberies carried out by a glamorous cast, often in an exotic setting. This genre has been criticised- and there is justice in the criticism- for glamorising crime and dishonesty, and "The Thomas Crown Affair", although it concentrates as much on the aftermath of the crime as on the robbery itself, falls within this tradition and must therefore bear some of the criticism. It is, however, unlikely that it ever persuaded anyone to take up a career as a millionaire playboy criminal mastermind. It is too obviously a fantasy for that- with its visual tricks, its highly stylised acting (especially from Miss Dunaway) and a general atmosphere that seems unreal, at times even dreamlike, it has about as much to do with real crime as the James Bond films have to do with the everyday work of the British Secret Service. Moreover, unlike some of the other heist movies, such as "The Italian Job" or "The Biggest Bundle", which have artificially moralistic endings, "The Thomas Crown Affair" at least has the courage of its own amorality. Its ending may be ambiguous, but it does not try to drive home a "crime does not pay" message.

I prefer this film to the recent Pierce Brosnan remake which, although it has its good points, lacks the distinctive style of the original film. The original has, in fact, been criticised for being a triumph of style over substance. Well yes, it is- but with style like this, who's complaining? 7/10

An Affair To Remember

[Galina_movie_fan · 8/10 · 14 March 2006]

The original "Thomas Crown Affair" directed by Norman Jewison is one of the coolest movies ever made and great fun for all of its 100 minutes - a clever bank-heist caper combined with the sensual romance where both participants (the brilliant bank robber and his match, the sultry and shrewd insurance investigator) are sophisticated, quick-witted and oh so cool. The split-screen technique really works well in this movie and I should mention the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" by Michel Legrand that very deservingly received an Oscar - and it does not happen often in the best song categories.

The chess game between "King Of Cool" Steve McQueen and 27 year old Faye Dunaway in the most provocative dress possible is one of the sexiest and most exiting without actual sex involved (my favorite kind of scenes - let my imagination work, let everything happen in my mind) scenes ever filmed. IMO, the 60s was one of the best dressed decades ever with the first wave of mini (and I mean it) skirts and elegant suits and dresses.

From Faye Dunaway's interview to "USA Today" about working with McQueen, "We had the most magical spark. Our hearts and souls combined. There was no romance off screen but on screen it was like a smack."

60's Gem

[krgreenhouse · 8/10 · 5 February 2019]

This is a very stylish and cerebral film that's meant to stimulate your mind rather than your senses: it isn't fast-paced, there are no explosions or big "special effects", and it doesn't have a formulaic happy ending. But it will keep you guessing (and thinking)... that's what makes it so good.

Favored over the remake

[eschwartzkopf · 29 September 2003]

The large number of reviews tossing this in the trash bin as an overwrought 1960s period piece, or inferior when compared to the Pierce Brosnan/Rene Russo remake caused me to find the DVD and take another look.

The problem with the 1967 film is that, unlike most films made today (including the remake), viewers need to think and connect the dots; and, there isn't always a "right" ending with all details neat and tidy. This is still a classic of the caper films, with McQueen giving the definitive performance of his absolute-cool image, and Dunaway as the Joan Crawford of the Virginia Slims generation.

The then-innovative parts of the film, including the multiple split screens and the repetition of the theme song with Noel Harrison look dated (and the split-screen is only effective on the big, big screens of the 1960s-era theaters), but the chess game is still the most-seductive bit of film where all the clothes stay on and nobody talks.

Listening to director Norman Jewison's commentary on the DVD is enlightening. The split screens were indeed a timely gimmick (Jewison and the producer saw the technique at Expo '67 in Montreal), and his explanation of the last scene in the cemetery gives a good insight as to how he aimed the film in general.

Stealing With Style

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 December 2007]

Thomas Crown is a mysterious gazillionaire who is frankly bored with his life. What to do when you're a thirty something and have all the resources available. For a lark, plan the perfect crime.

So in The Thomas Crown Affair, Steve McQueen does just that. He recruits four people at random for the crime, none of whom know each other and pull off a really neat bank robbery.

It seems like Paul Burke and the Boston PD aren't getting the job done so the bank brings in Faye Dunaway as an insurance investigator. She does this for a 10% finders fee, not for a policeman's salary. She also doesn't have to follow the rules the way the cops do.

Dunaway is smart and she does figure out it's McQueen who's the mastermind. She baits him in some of the same way that Inspector Slimane baits Pepe LeMoko. Of course she really gets up close and personal in a way that Slimane couldn't. All this really does get to Paul Burke, whose performance is unfortunately overlooked in talking about The Thomas Crown Affair.

It's a battle of hubris between McQueen and Dunaway and the film does keep you in some suspense as to who will win out.

The Thomas Crown Affair garnered won Academy Award for Michel LeGrand's song, The Windmills of Your Mind. It's a stylishly done caper film and I guarantee you won't be able to anticipate the outcome.

Pretty fun, but hollow at its centre

[tomgillespie2002 · 6/10 · 4 July 2017]

Some movies rely on the chemistry of their lead co-stars in order to engage their audience, hoping that the thrill of watching two sexy movie-stars romancing and eventually getting it on with each other will provide sufficient escapism to make the reality lurking outside seem a world away. It's difficult to think of a film as reliant on the raw sex appeal of its superstars than Norman Jewison's 1968 heist thriller The Thomas Crown Affair, and Steve McQueen, as the titular millionaire playboy, and Faye Dunaway, as the sultry insurance investigator hot on his tail, positively sizzle with chemistry. In fact, they are so gorgeous that they manage to turn a game of chess into a playful game of seduction. The duo have certainly given much better performances during their careers, but they have never looked so good.

This pretty much sums up The Thomas Crown Affair: a polished, colourful star vehicle with an unashamedly glossy veneer. At the very centre of the story is a bank heist gone right, masterminded by the rather smug Thomas Crown (McQueen) after he handpicks his crew without ever letting them see his face. The thieves escape with over 2 million dollars, and nobody, including the rather clueless Detective Eddy Malone (Paul Burke), has any idea who it was. Enter Vicki Anderson (Dunaway), a no-nonsense independent woman with a love of the finer things in life. She quickly figures out that Crown was behind it all, but remains puzzled at why a man with everything would want to steal money he doesn't need. Of course, it's all a game, and the couple start their own game of cat-and-mouse as they embark on a steam affair.

Taking inspiration from the Expo 67 film A Place to Stand, which greatly impressed McQueen, Jewison employs 'multi-dynamic image technique', splitting the screen into sections with each part showing a different viewpoint. It gives the film a unique style, especially during the opening heist, and when combined with 60s kitsch, everything is wonderful to look at. While the visuals still impress, the characters are somewhat dated. He's the rich, philandering charmer, and she is bowled over by his fast-living and expensive possessions. It makes it all the more difficult to warm to a character I would detest in real life, but McQueen has more than enough charisma to pull through. There are never any real stakes, but it's pretty fun while it lasts, just a little hollow at its centre. The Pierce Brosnan/Rene Russo remake from 1999 makes for a more satisfying ride.

'Style over Substance' is the point of this film

[apban · 7/10 · 28 August 2008]

In the audio commentary for this film Norman Jewison describe TCA as a film of 'style over substance' and he's right, but the style is the very point of this film. As Norman Jewison points out in the audio commentary from the sound mixing, to camera work, to the editing it was all an experiment in style and the final ingredient in this experiment is the acting. First Faye Dunaway is uber, calm, sexy and collected as she openly admits that she's 'immoral and in it for the money' and is not afraid to use her womanly charms to get what she wants. But for me it's Steve McQueen who sets the tone for this film and in my opinion I find it hard to believe that he found this role challenging because as always he is the epitome of playing it cool.

Now I first saw the re-make before I saw the original version and I can't say which I prefer more, there are elements of the re-make that made the idea of the film somewhat stronger but then there are the more quite and subtle moments in the original that were somewhat trampled on by the re-make, for example the love scene. In the original it is a somewhat cheeky, humorous, and a quietly smouldering piece of storytelling, but in the re-make it is nothing more than a full blown, out and out, there no need to imagine it affair. Also another thing that the re-make will not surpass is Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, now I like Pierce Brosnan, but Steve McQueen is cool without trying to play at being cool and that's the difference. Also the original doesn't go for the Hollywood ending of Tommy and Vicki ending up together. As Norman Jewison says in the audio commentary of the original the fact that Tomas Crown, before he's even done the second robbery, has made up his mind that he'll be on the plane and knows Vicki will betray him is wonderful cynical, he never even gave her the chance.

But to give the re-make some credit the fact that it has Thomas Crown take part in the art robbery is a nice touch and adds more to the idea that he's doing it for kicks. Also the re-make makes a bit more effort to give the story more substance, and that's something that the original should have had.

If the original Thomas Crown Affair had a bit more substance, and a better development of plot, the caper itself and Tommy's and Vicki love affair then I think the film would have a much higher standing in cinema history.

But then again Thomas Crown's life is all about style with no substance, a wealthy man who lives in a big house by himself with no other meaning to his life than to play the part of the rich playboy being seen at the right clubs and wearing what's fashionable. No wonder the man was bored.

Tense, stylish, serious

[snaunton · 10/10 · 12 December 1999]

This is a film about games: the defining image, a game of chess; and then, as well, the intellectual game that robbery provides for Crown (McQueen), and the two games, professional and sexual, in which Vicki and Crown stalk each other. For these players, games are very serious and the outcome of each uncertain.

The film is of its time, but works in ours, as well and better than the recent remake. Those looking for a fast action "heist" movie will be disappointed: this film is about alienation and attraction, trust and betrayal, about working out what matters - all those eternal themes. It will appeal to those content to focus on personal chemistry unpunctuated by regular gunfire. None the less, the planning and execution of the bank robbery is cleverly done and provides sufficient impetus to drive the rest of the straightforward plot. Crown's motivations, tedium and greed, are readily understandable; Vicki's are similar. As people they are similar and evenly matched. Vicki is stylish and beautiful and, using her sexuality as well as her intellect, she is Crown's equal or better - which is not true of the remake. In the end, it is she who defines the outcome, but what it will be and why Vicki makes the choice she does are left unresolved. So, too, we remain uncertain whether the possibility truly exists, that their alienation might be healed.

The focus is clearly on the couple. Eddy Malone's role as the police detective does not extend beyond that of a Greek chorus, providing the conventional and moral reference against which the actions of the principals are to be judged. Jack Weston's Erwin, a very worried getaway driver, simply contrasts the player of the game, Crown, with the instruments with which he plays it.

The performances of the entire cast are exemplary. McQueen's clipped manner builds the tension and intensifies the effect of his weakening to Vicki's seductive moves during the chess game. The role of Vicki is perfect for Dunaway, making no great demands on her to project herself, no extended dialogue, which she does not generally manage well; but the disposition of her body, her power of gesture, and her brief, pithy statements all work brilliantly. Jack Weston produces an excellent cameo performance that pretty well had me perspiring as much as he was. Malone plays a straight role straight, the way it should be.

The split screen title sequence and passages in the film work well; they do not distract, as this technique can, but are used to capture and compress moments of action that are significant but do not require extended treatment. The Legrand soundtrack is brilliantly effective, including the long passages of real tension, without music.

This really is a great classic, a film that will endure, and those who have difficulty with it should see it again and allow themselves the time to be seduced by its low key perfection.

Better than the 1999 version

[pmacors · 7/10 · 9 October 2001]

This film seems very audacious for its age. It looks like it has been edited just two years ago because of the very dynamic way the bank attack scenes were filmed and the very sensual way the chess game scene was acted.

I very liked this movie, which very cool and very 'french' in its ambiance.

Unforgettable 60's cool

[UGLYBOB57 · 10/10 · 2 July 2005]

This movie is for fans of the 60s era not just 60's movies. It is a vehicle for displaying McQueen's cool and Dunaway's style. Made and set in an age when only the hippest were members of the jet set. Besides the two stars, look for solid performances from a very young Yaphet Kotto and the always disgusting Jack Weston.

The film itself is well crafted, beautifully photographed and brilliantly directed, it also has a great score. Jewison makes use of the split screen effect, several places in the film. While not only visually interesting, it also captures something of the essence of the era. Few people today will realise the significance of the split screen effect, as they don't remember Montreal's Expo/67.

While essentially a cool heist flic, and one of the first, this film is much more. It is a subtle study of human behaviour and the basic characteristics of man and woman. McQueen is the bored rich playboy and Dunaway is the cool, yet seductive private eye, who is not above using her feminine charms to solve a case. From time to time, the film hints at Crown's inner crisis, he is constantly in need of distraction, to prevent himself from dwelling on the fact that his life is essentially empty and meaningless.

Throughout the film, McQueen and Dunaway play a cat and mouse game, both on the professional level and also on the sexual level. The sexual tension during the chess game for example is so palpable, you can't help but be drawn in, dwelling on every stroke of Dunaway's fingers and every twitch on McQueen's face.

Unlike the modern remake, which is vapid by comparison, this film forces the viewer to pay attention, or risk missing the whole point. The pace of the original is much slower than the remake, and so might not appeal to those raised on video games.

The ending of this film gives us some real insight into the true nature of the relationships between men and women.

Overall, this film is a modern masterpiece.

Strains credulity...but entertaining nonetheless

[KFL · 6/10 · 4 January 2000]

This seems to be one of those flics that garners both fervent adherents and choruses of raspberries. It certainly has its faults, but I thought it was still quite a good movie (7/10) overall.

The plot unfortunately is pretty far removed from reality. No amount of money could persuade five men to lay their lives on the line for someone they couldn't even pick out of a lineup. Nor can we really begin to believe that Vicki can so quickly put her finger on Thomas Crown as the man behind it all.

There would have been better choices for the Thomas Crown role...most obviously Cary Grant, except I think he had just retired. But McQueen acquits (ahem) himself well.

The chess sequence alone is worth the price of admission (hard to believe anyone could miss the erotic tension in that scene...though it is tame enough today), the issues of trust and betrayal are explored in an interesting way, and the ending is clever.

The Crown Affair is an Under-rated Masterpiece

[filmphilosopher · 10/10 · 4 March 2003]

I had to write this comment after reading the other comment about this fantastic film. You must watch this with the anticipation of someone about to relish an intricate and complex dish, with the feel of The Italian Job in mind, with the knowledge that Steve McQueen is the epitome of cool (see the Tao of Steve), and with the desire to see Movie Making as it should be. This is at base a heist movie, but with Steve at the helm as a wealthy businessman who is in it for kicks, you ride along with him and enjoy his every conquest of Faye Dunaway. The "Chess with Sex" scene is very sensual and has been mimicked in many movies (Austin Powers). The soundtrack is fantastic and I think "Windmills of Your Mind" won an Oscar for Best Soundtrack. The multi-split-screen views are, in my opinion, very clever as they tell different parts of the story whilst building the suspense, as well as looking very stylish. The ending is not confusing, it is intriguing, bittersweet, tantalising, and surprising. Watch and enjoy, those in the know.

Keep the Car

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 28 November 2013]

Not what I expected. I expected a movie centered around Steve McQueen pulling off a heist. But actually it's a movie where the (brief) heist occurs early and the rest of the movie is about an insurance investigator played by Faye Dunaway trying to snare McQueen. The leaps of logic that allow Dunaway to get on McQueen's trail strain credulity even more than the implausible heist. The plot leaks like a sieve but the flashy direction and charismatic performances by the leads keeps you interested. McQueen and Dunaway definitely had chemistry. Hard to believe that terrible theme song won an Oscar. It's a good film so give it a shot, especially if you're a fan of "the king of cool" Steve McQueen.

So Cool that it's Cold

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 18 February 2014]

Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) is a successful businessman. He recruits men to pull off the perfect crime robbing a large bank. The police is getting nowhere with the investigation. They allow the insurance investigator into the case and Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway) immediately zeroes in on the debonair Thomas Crown.

Director Norman Jewison is throwing all the cool stylings of the era at this movie. He has the coolest Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway is playing a sexy ice queen, and he's using all the cool visual style like the split screen. It is super cool, but there isn't much heat. The leads' cat and mouse games are just visual editing fun. Even their sexy scenes are just cute jazzy music, and interesting cuts. The action is pedestrian. The caper is uninspired. I'm sure McQueen had a ball hanging out with Dunaway, driving the dune buggy, and sipping champaign. At last, this may be a movie of its era that has become dated over the years. It needs more fun, and drama.

Eye candy and brain candy

[yoodete · 30 December 2004]

I caught this movie on TV last night and was so surprised by how much I had forgotten--except for the chiffon halter dress that Faye Dunaway wears--that had been seared into my 13-year-old mind as the height of chic in 1968. The previous comment said she was too distant and cold. Well, she was an insurance investigator, not a daycare provider. This was 1968 when women really had to be businesslike to make their way in the world and this also is the image of the writer of her character. What I loved was the minimalist dialog, the incredible lighting and composition in every frame (Haskell Wexler's genius at work), especially during the best scene ever of a chess match. This was totally film as film--it was a scene that could only come to life in film. It was such a pleasure to see a filmmaker rely on the photography, music and facial expressions of the actors to build a scene instead of another bang up car crash. The camera loved both actors' faces, but especially Steve McQueen's cragginess and leanness. I love witty dialog, but this minimalist approach worked because it fit the characters. And the end was perfect because it totally fit the characters. She was an investigator and just because she fell in love she wasn't prepared or able to abandon the way she had lived her life--within the law. He couldn't abandon his life choices either, because he'd only end up in jail without her anyway. A happy ending would have meant she was an entirely different person than we were led to believe. I think this movie stands the test of time incredibly well and as a piece of how you can film two people in a room nearly without dialog and make it interesting and erotic, well it's a treasure. .

The windmills of my mind

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 17 July 2004]

The original Thomas Crown Affair directed by Norman Jewison was praised in its day as stylish and ahead of its times. On a second view, this is far from the truth. The film is a pretext to show Faye Dunaway in about 30 costume changes and little else of substance.

Steve McQueen was a strange bird indeed. As an actor he is always the same. Watch him in this film, or Bullit, or any other of his movies, and you'll see him do the same expressions and pretending to be cool all the time, something that in real life, he was not. Steve McQueen was the product of Hollywood. He was more of a presence than a convincing actor who can make the viewer believe he is seeing that character he is portraying come true.

On the other hand, Faye Dunaway went from modeling to acting, and she could act, but not in the way the director instructed her what to do in this film. Faye Dunaway is a beautiful woman who at that point in her career cut quite a figure. Unfortunately, her Vicki Anderson is all phony and mannered.

Even the title song is sung badly within the movie. Michel Legrand needed someone else to sing it to do justice to it. Frankly, this film would have died at the box office if it were released today!

Crown McQueen.

[anaconda-40658 · 7/10 · 9 July 2015]

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968): Dir: Norman Jrwison / Cast: Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke, Jack Weston, Gordon Pinsent: Clever caper film that gets caught up in romantic formula but not without a heavy dose of wit and charm. Title refers to the anti-hero's lifestyle as well as the romance that threatens to expose him. Thomas Crown pulls off a robbery and Faye Dunaway is sent to investigate but ends up in a romance that will leave her with two choices. Director Norman Jewison does multi-split screen to aid points of view but structure needed more of the crime as oppose to the affair. McQueen plays Crown as witty, laughing at his shrewd accomplishment while baiting Dunaway's seductive methods. What works against the film is its willingness to present the criminal as heroic, even though McQueen is pretty much able to disarm us with his charm. Dunaway is intriguing despite her position within the formula romance. The payoff is her placement in the conclusion and the turmoil going through her mind as he merges far ahead of them. Flat supporting roles from Paul Burke and Jack Weston work against the film. This is also an early appearance for Gordon Pinsent although the film pretty much belongs to the leads. Well made caper that doesn't always work but it maintains a sense of fun. It regards how seduction can reduce even the biggest crimes to exposure. Score: 7 / 10

Very good escapist fare

[perfectbond · 7/10 · 19 September 2003]

This movie is excellent escapist entertainment. The premise is exciting enough, the acting by the principals McQueen and Dunaway is more than competent and there are a few truly memorable scenes (ie. the Chess game) that lead to surprisingly enigmatic ending. In Ms. Dunaway's biography, she seems to take great pride in the feminist message it sends. All in all, I enjoyed the hour and 40 odd minutes I spent with Thomas Crown and Vicki Anderson, 7/10.

The Perfect Crime

[thinker1691 · 9/10 · 10 July 2006]

The Thomas Crown affair begs the question. What do the rich think of when they are bored? Norman Jewison decided to answer that question with a subtle, but over the top version of cops and robbers. Thomas Crown (suprisingly, but adroitly played by Steve McQueen) is a bored, millionaire who asks, "Who do I want to be tomorrow?" To that end, he decides on 'kicks.' In what seems like an absentminded challenge to himself, Crown designs and implements a down to the minute bank robbery. The plan is fantastic. He selects and hires five total strangers at random, instructs them on their part of the Bank robbery, then sets them in motion. What follows is perhaps the finest cat and mouse crime game between two intelligent and sophisticated players. Faye Dunaway plays Vicki Anderson, a top notch insurance investigator who for ten percent of recovered loot promises the capture of her agile quarry. Standing by to arrest the elusive Crown is Paul Burke, who plays Lt. Edward 'Eddy' Malone. Jack Weston portrays Erwin Weaver the get-a-way driver who could jeopardize Crowns Perfect crime. With the famous, "Windmills of your Mind" theme song, the viewer is hauntingly allowed into the mind of a sympathetic man and one cannot help but root for the thief. This film was McQueen's favorite. *****

Should have been hot stuff...instead settles for laid-back cool

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 14 January 2006]

Lieutenant with the Boston Police Department is joined by a female insurance investigator to crack "perfect robbery" of a Boston bank in broad daylight, netting over $2M. As it turns out, none of the men involved in the heist knew each other or their operative, a multi-millionaire sportsman who only orchestrated the robbery for kicks. Cat-and-mouse games among the rich and well-groomed, given a splashy treatment by director Norman Jewison and his editors, Hal Ashby (also an associate producer), Ralph E. Winters and Byron Brandt, who reportedly cut the film to the rhythms of Michel Legrand's Oscar-nominated music score. Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway look delicious together and, though the picture is almost all presentation (jazzed-up with split screen visuals), it's a thin but intoxicating mix of '60s style and cool-as-ice romance. One Oscar: for Best Song, "The Windmills of Your Mind", by Legrand with Alan and Marilyn Bergman. remade in 1999. *** from ****

An Excellent Movie Even If Out of Character for McQueen

[wolfgar · 9/10 · 17 March 2003]

I cannot think of anything that I did not like about the TCA. I read some of the other reviews, and I can understand why they might come to their conclusions to the contrary.

First, McQueen does look a little out of character being a financier, but as in most of his other roles, he is in control of the situation. He plays the loner outside of the situation and/or system. Even the women that came into his arms are issued temporary visa only as shown by Faye Dunaway left holding the bag at the end of the movie. He played her like a violin.

Someone mentioned that they hated the multiple shots used in several scenes, and that it was overused and probably pointless. I completely disagree. I think that it adds dimension and excitement when it used. During the robbery, the viewer can witness several aspects of the caper as it unfolds. The polo shots were fantastic and exciting.

To me McQueen was a bit of a mystery. What did he really want? "Kicks" as suggested by Paul Burke the police investigator? He told Faye Dunaway that it was he against the system, which leaves me a little less than satisfied. He certainly seemed to be bored. Everything came to him too easily.

Faye Dunaway started out great with the pitbull attitude toward reclaiming the money for the insurance reward. I liked the repartee at the initial meeting with McQueen at the art auction. I felt she showed weakness at their first dinner meeting when McQueen accused her of having a "funny, dirty little mind". The surveillance, "replacing the carpet" in his mansion and IRS audits forever were good blows she landed. McQueen always seemed to be one step ahead. Even before the last robbery when he said he had to know where she stood, I think he already was on the plane to Europe without her. For Faye, it was a lose-lose situation. Whether she ever was really in love with him or not, she got far to close to draw the line.

The chess scene in McQueen's den was probably the sexiest scene I have ever witnessed. Everything occurred in the viewer's mind -- no nudity or anything more than kiss on screen.

This movie was wonderful, a very good look at a refreshing look at the 60s with wealth and power. Even cigarette smoking had not become a pariah.

PS: I saw the Pierce Brosnan version of TCA, and it was zero in my estimation, and that was with the nudity. Don't waste your time on it.

Windmills of your Mind song has not worn so well

[christopher-underwood · 7/10 · 14 September 2017]

I have put off seeing this on the small screen because I seemed to remember there being more of the multiple spilt screen editing than there actually is and that it wouldn't work on the domestic TV. Actually it is fine. I believe Hal Ashby was responsible for the innovative technique which is used sparingly but most effectively to pep up the credits and heist sequences. The film is enjoyable with decent performances from Steve McQueen (much improved since The Blob, which I saw recently and in which he seemed rather awkward) and Faye Dunaway, looking particularly lovely at this time. Otherwise, although the film is enjoyable, it is not particularly striking and the Windmills of your Mind song has not worn so well. There is perhaps too much racing about in the beach buggy and the ending seems a bit rushed, although we are just about ready.

Slick, thoughtful, playful - a winner

[PaulusLoZebra · 8/10 · 5 November 2022]

The Thomas Crowne Affair is a joy. It's a smooth, smart crime thriller and romance. Norman Jewison does a great job by having Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway underplaying and by having a script that's very light on dialogue. Those two choices allow the focus to be on close-ups, facial movements, and silence, which communicate beautifully the mystery, the enigma, at the heart of Thomas Crowne and also allow Faye Dunaway to evolve her character credibly, to fall in love, all the while doing her job and being increasingly, and deeply, conflicted. Dunaway and McQueen are a great couple. Jewison also did a great job of using, and not over-using, the split screen technique which was new and trendy at the time. That allowed him to communicate lots of the story in very short, silent bursts, and keep a cool 60s vibe at the same time. And the famous music was just right. Great stuff.

Beautiful But Shallow

[slokes · 6/10 · 19 December 2008]

Watching "The Thomas Crown Affair" is an experience in stylish '60s chic. Does it hold up, with the presence of Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Jack Weston, and Norman Jewison? Man, I wish it did! Well, it sort of holds up. The first 30 minutes does, anyway, with a bank robbery sequence featuring Weston, McQueen, Yaphet Kotto, and three D. B. Cooper lookalikes. Actually, this is where director Jewison makes his strongest push for a solid crime thriller, in the opening 30 minutes, before Dunaway shows up. After that, through no fault of hers, its all downhill.

McQueen is Thomas Crown, a Boston brahmin businessman in a three-piece suit and comfortable living quarters with a predilication for taking advantage of others. "You overpaid" is the way he breaks it to a group of businessmen he makes a deal with at the picture's outset, and that's his style through the rest of the film, whether it's telling bank-robbery associate Jack Weston why he shouldn't wonder about things ("No questions. What you don't know can't hurt you. You or me, Erwin boy") or investigator Faye Dunaway why she should just forego her job of sleuthing out the truth and hang with him in Europe for an extended vacation.

I'm a big Steve McQueen fan, but this time around I cared more about what happened to Jack Weston's character. This factored into why I liked "The Thomas Crown Affair" less than I wanted to. Steve McQueen is great when he's a badass, except when he's making too much of that fact. "Thomas Crown" makes too much of that fact.

Is it immoral to like a film that celebrates how the well-off take advantage of the less so? Well, I say so. Crown, an already rich guy who wants more, is certainly a questionable hero. So's Dunaway's Miss Vicki, an insurance investigator who maybe falls in love with Crown while trying to figure out whether he's the mastermind behind the big Boston bank robbery with which the film opens. After a while, I was hoping the pair would catch VD. Was I at fault, or them?

Oh, and I really don't like the title song, performed by Rex Harrison's son Nigel without the benefit of Daddy explaining where the virtues of "talk-singing" ended. "A circle in a spiral/A wheel within a wheel/Never ending, never beginning, in an ever spinning reel/As the images unwind/Like the circles that you find/In the windmills of your mind". Did that really pass for profound in the '60s somehow? The basis of "Thomas Crown Affair" is that crime pays, at least it did the 1960s, with Jewison directing and Haskell Wexler doing the cinematography. Watching McQueen and Dunaway riding a dune buggy on Cape Cod is to feel intimately connected with the 1960s, in a way no other Dunaway nor McQueen film does. That's not only what's good but what's great about this film.

But crime DOES pay, watching this film. Crown is a rascal, but not unlikably so. His relationship with Miss Vicki doesn't suffer from too much hand-holding, just cooking lobsters in the sand and taking the proper measure of one another. I wished McQueen's interest in bank robbery was more in line with the involuntary kind practiced in "The Getaway", but he's not a total bounder, and there's a strong enough suggestion of his taking a different path with Miss Vicki so as not to totally turn you against the zeitgeist of this film.

It's just that I wish the film had more going for it than a caper romance. However solidly '60s, it would have been nicer if "The Thomas Crown Affair" made it somehow more enjoyable to enjoy its sumptuous cinematography, its images of Boston in midsummer, its hang-gliding with gorgeous ladies in skimpy underwear.

"The Thomas Crown Affair" is a fun film, and one of the most beautiful McQueen ever made. But whatever its surface virtues, it makes for only a somewhat satisfying movie.

Overrated period piece

[rogerkread · 3/10 · 19 July 2020]

Tedious and uninteresting. 2 dimensional, rather unlikeable central characters you don't care about and a silly plot. No character development. Prettily photographed in an unengaging way. Very much of its time.