I liked The Thomas Crown Affair a great deal. The movie has all the right ingredients–a compelling plot that engages the brain, two delightful stars that are not only well suited but also the same age, and a stylized presentation choreographed to titillate.

The story concerns multi-millionaire businessman Thomas Crown, who makes sport of stealing art. Pierce Brosnan plays the role of gentleman thief quite nicely, indeed I like him better here than as Bond. He has the same poise and elegance, but he's not hampered by trying to be an action hero in a penguin suit. The opening scene introduces Crown and his style of robbery. While the decoys climb and sweat, Crown completes a business deal and is measured for a new suit. He then leisurely turns up at the Met and walks away with a painting worth more money that I can spell.

Enter Rene Russo as Catherine Banning, the insurance investigator. In only minutes, she quickly spots Crown as the most likely suspect–well, it's easy isn't it, he's the only one with star billing. So she goes to work, using all her assets to tease a confession from him. Which we expect, of course, since the whole robbery/investigation thing is really just setting the scene for romance.

At first glimpse, the story is a lot like Entrapment, where Connery's thief was wooed by Zeta-Jones as investigator, seemingly unconcerned by their 39 year age difference. It comes as quite a relief, then, that Brosnan is a mere 9 months older than Russo–both are in their mid 40s and act it.

I love Russo's exotic seduction of Brosnan, in a dress that rivals Cher's academy award winning number. But then, I just like Russo's character. Smart, sophisticated, and yet believable, she managed to give Catherine some real human qualities.

But most of all, I enjoyed the overall dance-like elegance of The Thomas Crown Affair. The robberies are clever, the scenery is appealing and Brosnan and Russo's seduction of each other is engaging and human. I really enjoyed this film.