Only one year removed from directing the Best Picture winner at the 40th Academy Awards (“In the Heat of the Night”), Norman Jewison followed up with a very different but equally lasting film, “The Thomas Crown Affair”. By ‘lasting’ I don’t mean the two film’s have the same weight or the same impact. But both movies still resonate nearly 60 years after their original releases albeit for much different reasons.

Aside from its alluring title, “The Thomas Crown Affair” had the draw of bona fide star power with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. McQueen was at the front end of a run that would forever define his career. But he already had several big movies on his résumé as well as an Oscar nomination. Dunaway was still a young star, but she had just garnered major attention for her role in the smash-hit “Bonnie and Clyde”.

Richard Burton and Sean Connery were first in mind to play Thomas Crown but both turned it down. The role eventually went to McQueen who goes against type playing the eponymous lead. Thomas Crown is a successful Boston financier who has made millions of dollars through his own thriving company. In addition to being a prominent tycoon, Thomas is also thrill-seeker who satisfies his lust for adventure through high-stakes golf matches, flying gliders, playing polo, and riding dune buggies on the beach.

But his biggest kick comes from organizing bank heists – not for the money but for the sheer rush. He’s the man behind the plan, orchestrating every detail right down to the cemetery drop-off location. Then he watches his players pull it off. He keeps his identity a secret, hiring five complete strangers yet never meeting them face-to-face. His only in-person involvement is picking up the money at the designated location.

The movie opens with an explosion of style as Jewison and cinematographer Haskell Wexler shoot Thomas’ latest heist through a series of fascinating compositions. The bank robbery goes off without a hitch to the tune of $2.6 million. After paying off his men, Thomas moves the rest of the money into a Swiss bank account and then sits back to enjoy his spoils.

With no leads and no suspects, the police eventually give up. But the bank’s insurance company has too much at stake, so they call in Inspector Vicki Anderson (Fay Dunaway) to help investigate the case. We learn quick that she’s ruthless and is not bound by any laws. She’s in it for the money – driven by the 10% she gets of whatever she’s able to recover. And as her tactics show, she’ll do anything to get her earnings.

Through connections that are threadbare at best, Vicki hones in on Thomas as her chief suspect. She wastes no time introducing herself to him and doesn’t attempt to hide her identity or her intentions. Confident yet curious, Thomas plays along in what becomes a sultry game of cat-and-mouse. The two begin dating and even fall in love. But establishing trust is a different story. Soon Thomas finds himself playing the ultimate thrill game against a seductive opponent who’s up for the challenge.

McQueen was an interesting choice to play Thomas Crowne and his performance ranges from spot-on to strangely out of place. Through much of the film he’s ruggedly dashing and convincingly assured. But there are instances where his working class screen image clashes with the rich and dapper magnate he plays. He ultimately pulls it off. And McQueen creates some sizzling chemistry with Dunaway whose playful exterior masks a more devious side.

“The Thomas Crown Affair” was a success at the box office despite being greeted with lukewarm reviews from critics. It would go on to win the Best Original Song Academy Award for Michel Legrand’s “The Windmills of Your Mind” and over time has received more favorable reevaluations. It even led to a successful 1999 remake starring Pierce Bronson and Rene Russo. As for the 1968 film, it doesn’t sit among Norman Jewison’s best films. But “The Thomas Crown Affair” has maintained a lasting appeal that (for the most part) still holds up today.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS