The Thomas Crown Affair (Norman Jewison, 1968) C-

This is my second viewing of The Thomas Crown Affair and I still don't think it's a very good film. Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway are "sexy! no no no" but are they particularly interesting here? Not really. The placing of four different point of views during the robbery is fascinating, but eventually realizing that Jewison is using style to cover up a lack of substance. The robbery is one of the most boring I've ever seen in a film. They take people hostage in an elevator and the lobby? That's the big secret plan? You've got to be fucking kidding me. After this lackadaisical robbery, the screenplay sort of bounces around from setting to setting, character to character without ever stopping to reflect upon anything substantial: "Oh look, Steve McQueen's flying a plane with 'Windmills of Your Mind' playing over the soundtrack. That's kinda cool. I wonder what it has to do with anything. Nothing you say? Then why the hell am I watching it?" It's only been a couple of hours after I finished watching The Thomas Crown Affair and I really can't remember anything between the robbery and the ending. The only scene that's particularly memorable is the chess scene between Dunaway and McQueen. If you never thought that chess could be that dirty, you obviously haven't seen this scene; it's downright filthy (in an amazing way)!