Plot
Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is a wealthy financier who aches for a challenge, since he achieved his wealth using his skills and specialties as a challenge and he is one of the richest people in the world. Despite all of his success in business (and with women), he feels bored with his life. Among other diversions, he crashes an expensive catamaran while racing and bets $100,000 on a golf swing simply because "it's a beautiful Saturday morning", and there is not much else to do.
In order to cure his boredom, Crown orchestrates an elaborate heist and steals a painting (San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk) by Monet, valued at $100 million, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, using his skills. The insurers of the artwork send Catherine Banning (Rene Russo), an insurance investigator, to assist NYPD Detective Michael McCann (Denis Leary) in solving the crime.
From the beginning, Banning suspects Crown is behind the theft. A game of cat-and-mouse ensues that results in their becoming lovers and gives Crown exactly what he was seeking, as his psychiatrist puts it: "A worthy adversary" and a new challenge in his bored life.
To prove his sincerity and test her loyalty to him, Crown returns to the museum under the eye of Banning and dozens of police officers, vowing to put the stolen painting back, no matter the cost.
Read more about this topic: The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 Film)
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