July 27 movie: The Thomas Crown Affair. Not the remake; the original, with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. I had heard of this as a slick caper movie, but I wouldn't describe it that way at all. The plot about the bank robbery was secondary and too plodding to be that interesting in my mind. Really the good thing about this movie was the amazing chemistry between McQueen and Dunaway. McQueen never convinced me as a millionaire businessman, but I didn't care as long as he and Dunaway kept smoking up the screen. The best scene was definitely the sexy chess. Every movie should have a sexy chess game!
One thing I will grant this film: I totally did not expect the ending. I thought they were heading towards another ending entirely. I haven't seen the remake but I'd bet money that it doesn't end the same way.
Director Norman Jewison described it as "style over content" and I would definitely agree with that. I almost gave up on it during the interminable glider scene -- just McQueen flying around and around while "Windmills of Your Mind" plays and god I hate that song. But thankfully Dunaway showed up onscreen soon after that. Even if the movie had totally sucked, I would have continued watching just to see her clothes. Picture perfect 1968 fashions. Which I'm kind of into, as you may have gathered if you read this journal with any regularity. During the film I guessed that her clothes were by YSL, but it was actually Thea van Runkle, a movie costume designer I'd never heard of before.
3 Comments
Yes, I'd watch it for the clothes too. Let's face it, sometimes style over substance is what you want in films - as long as it's REAL style.
i watched this recently and was absolutely transfixed by faye dunaway's clothes, hair, and makeup.
i have to say that i was also transfixed by the lead actress' clothes in the remake, believe it or not-- now i realize they were probably trying to create a modern version of the dunaway look from the original.
i think lisa's right... of all the leading ladies they could have chosen for the remake, they picked rene russo -- she's the 90's faye dunaway! :-)
and for what it's worth, i liked the remake. but then again i have a very large, squishy soft spot in my heart for pierce brosnan.