As far as needless remakes go, you can do much worse than the 1999 version of THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, I guess. There's nothing in it that made me cringe. The performances are pretty good and the production values are nice, However, it feels like such a generic romantic crime thriller in comparison to the older one.
I think the single biggest reason I prefer the original movie to this one is the difference between the two endings. The original movie ends with Steve McQueen and Fay Dunaway unable to get together in the end. He chooses the empty thrill over her. The last few shots, with Dunaway looking up to the sky relieved and broken-hearted all at once, and McQueen listlessly staring out the window of his getaway plane, have stayed with me.
The happy ending here just rings so hollow and is far less believable. The 1968 original is made the classic it is by its sad ending-- it's not the style, which is dated to the late 1960s, nor even the heists themselves. It's the fact that McQueen's character can never have what he's really looking for, despite all his power and money.
But here? Nope! You can have it all. And that's a far more predictable finish than the haunting original.
0 out of 6 found this helpful