Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A debonair, adventuresome bank executive believes that he has pulled off the perfect multi-million dollar heist--until he must match wits with an insurance investigator who will do anything to get her man.
The Thomas Crown Affair is a stylish, sui generis caper film elevated by Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway's electric chemistry and Norman Jewison's visually audacious direction. The split-screen cinematography is genuinely innovative and iconic — a true standout of late-60s filmmaking craft. McQueen and Dunaway both deliver magnetic, sophisticated performances that anchor the film's cool, playful tone. Novelty is high: the film's blend of chic romance, intellectual gamesmanship, and heist thriller had a distinctive voice and aesthetic all its own. The plot is somewhat thin — more mood and style than substance — and the ending, while satisfying enough, doesn't fully resolve the tension between its romantic and thriller elements with the punch it promises.