2. Thomas Crown - The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
We all like to moan about remakes of classic films, and barely a week goes by without Hollywood dishing up another underwhelming monstrosity which utterly deflowers a much-loved original. But in amongst all the dross and dreck, there are a handful of remakes which are arguably better than the originals. These include Werner Herzog's take on Nosferatu, the musical version of Little Shop of Horrors, and John McTiernan's remake of 1960s classic The Thomas Crown Affair. The Thomas Crown Affair features Brosnan as the title character, a wealthy financier and thrillseeker who will do anything to stop being bored. After a priceless Monet painting is stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the insurers send in investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) to discovers whether Crown was involved. What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse where the two become lovers and the missing painting's location is finally revealed. Brosnan may not have the raw, smouldering sex appeal that Steve McQueen possessed in the original, but he does bring a playful sense of devil-may-care detachment which is perfect for the part. His scenes are Russo are absolutely electric, with each party trying to test the other's loyalty and wondering how far they can lower their guard. Throw in some witty nods to René Magritte and some slick direction from the man who made Die Hard hum, and you have a remake that truly rivals the original while standing firmly on its own.
