The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

"You're not boring, I'll give you that." Catherine

☆☆☆☆☆ Classic

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) is a sophisticated heist caper.

Directed by John McTiernan.

Starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary among many others.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) is a remake of the 1968 version starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. McTiernan's remakes is better than the original. Heist films require great detail and cleverness in the staging and execution of the theft. John's heist is as elaborate and detailed as Jules Dassin's,Rififi (1955).
There are no guns or violence, just a sophisticated cat and mouse mind game between the cops and robbers.

Pierce plays his character with a detachment that works. Gone are the usual Irish passion that he brings to every role he does. One of the most underrated actors of his generation. Like a fine wine Brosnan gets better with age.

Rene is always one of my favorite actresses, because she has the elegance and grace of a model with a dark sense of humor. One of the few actresses that can play with the boys at their level. In this film you can actually see her competitiveness throughout the film.

Denise Leary steals every scene he is in. Leary brings his detective character to life with his acerbic style of comedy to life. Denis lines are delivered with a subtext of irony and pathos that cause you to have empathy for him. In the scene below watch how Rene truly feels for him as much as we the audience feel for him. Great film to watch again and again.

Film Scene

Trivia - In filming Predator, McTiernan had his thermal cameras failing above 90 degrees and John incorporated that into the camera failures in the museum heist scene.

My Version - I would have had Denis get Rene and Pierce run away with the young model.

Film Trailer

Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes - Rififi

"There's not a safe that can resist Cesar and there's not a woman Cesar can resist." Mario

☆☆☆☆☆ Masterpiece

Rififi (1955) is the greatest Heist film ever made.

Directed by Jules Dassin.

Starring Jean Servais, Carl Mohner, Robert Manuel among many others.

Rififi, is a French cinema masterpiece that was directed by Jules Dassin. Jules was an American living in Paris, after being black listed in Hollywood, as a communist. Dassin was broke when producer Henri Berard offered him, August Le Breton's novel, Du Rififi Chez Le Hommes. Jean-Pierre Melville was scheduled to direct Rififi, but backed out to do another film called, Bob Le Flambeur (1956).  Dassin went and asked Melville if he could replace him as the director of the film.

Jules hated the novel's racist themes and wrote the screen play in six days after getting Melville's blessing to direct the film. The riveting safe cracking scene comes from a real burglary that occurred in 1899 in Marseille's cours St. Louis. The thieves broke into another shop which was above a jewelery shop and cut a hole in the floor. The burglars used an umbrella to catch the falling debris.

The detail in the opening of a safe in the middle of the film is extraordinary. You feel as though you are there with the safe crackers. The clip below is part of a 20+ minute safe cracking scene. There is no dialogue or music during the entire scene. Keep in mind that this film was made in 1954 with a small budget of $200,000. While Dassin was making his epic heist caper in Paris. Melville was making his epic heist caper across town. The two would create a revolution in film making. Both films are Noir masterpieces.

Jean Servais would have given Bogart or Cagney a run at the title for best criminal in a crime drama. What makes Rififi even better is that after the heist the movie goes into over drive when the criminals go to collect their wages. Enjoy!

Film Scene

Trivia - Jules Dassin played Cesar after the actor hired for the part became unavailable.

Film Trailer

I Soliti Ignoti - Big Deal On Madonna Street

"Stealing is a serious business. You need serious people, not people like you." Tiberio

☆☆☆☆☆ Classic

I Soliti Ignoti - Big Deal On Madonna Street (1958) started the comedy spoof films.

Directed by Mario Monicelli.

Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Claudia Cardinale among many others.

Mario created the comedy spoof genre single handily. All modern movie spoof's owe Mario for creating the genre. This movie is so funny, especially if you are Italian. Mario is spoofing Jules Dassin (An American Expat living in Paris) classic French Heist film, Rififi (1954). Jules created the modern crime caper with Rififi.

Vittorio Gassman and Marcello Mastroianni play brilliantly against each other. Vittorio sees life as easy, Marcello sees it as complex. The dialogue between them is filled with innuendos and biting social commentary.

The film makes fun of Sicilians, Northern Italians, Frenchmen, Americans and anyone who was part of the system. Some of the best comedy is in scenes where the characters knowledge cannot help them through the bureaucracy that engulfs their everyday life. In the scene below Mario is having fun with Sicilians. The absurdity of keeping a woman like Claudia Cardinal at home until she is married is priceless. Anyways, its a fun movie that holds up well with time.

Film Scene

Trivia - I Soliti Ignoti translates into Usual Unknowns or as the police here in America call them The Usual Suspects.

Film Trailer