A very rich and successful playboy amuses himself by stealing artwork, but may have met his match in a seductive detective.

Self-made billionaire Thomas Crown is bored of being able to buy everything he desires. Being irresistible to women, he also does not feel any challenge in that area. But there are a few things even he can't get, therefore Thomas Crown has a seldom hobby: He steals priceless masterpieces of Art. After the theft of a famous painting from Claude Monet, the only person suspecting Thomas Crown is Catherine Banning. Her job is to get the picture back, no matter how she accomplishes her mission. Unfortunately, Catherine gets involved too deeply with Thomas to keep a professional distance to the case. Fortunately, Thomas seems to fall for her, too.—Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>

A multi millionaire playboy Thomas Crown steals a priceless painting from an art gallery and finds out an insurance investigator Catherine Banning is onto him. They fall for each other but Catherine is unsure because Anna, a gorgeous young woman is always around him. They go to Martinique to be alone but after they come back Thomas wants them leave together. Catherine still isn't sure, will she trust him and will he be able to trust her and overcome his deepest fears?—Zagerzer

A bored multi-millionaire struggling to find new challenges arranges for the theft of a Monet painting from a museum. This sets a sexy insurance investigator after him, but unexpectedly the two fall in love. Does she keep her ethics and pin him for the crime she knows he committed or does she follow her heart? Things are complicated by a beautiful blonde that he keeps company with, when he is not with her.—John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>

Competitive New York mergers and acquisitions king Thomas Crown steals a Monet for the challenge only to be fingered as the thief within two days by insurance investigator Catherine Banning who's smart, driven, and alone. Ostensibly she works with the police but in truth she runs her own show playing cat and mouse with Crown. Soon it's a romance: a black and white ball, a glider flight, two days in Martinique. Back in Manhattan, she thinks she has reason to be jealous, so when he suggests they go off together, she hesitates. He may have more tricks up his sleeve and, as his psychiatrist has asked him, what would it take for him to trust a woman and, in turn, be trusted?—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

John McTiernan did a great job directing this movie. There is subtlety in many scenes which help enrich the story. These can be easily missed if you don't pay attention. The score is well chosen and fits each situation like a glove and adds to the enjoyment of the movie. The acting is very good and I think its one of Brosnan's better portrayals. René Russo is quite lovely and does a very nice job of portraying Katherine Banning, the art thief recovery detective. She had a lot of guts doing the nude scenes at her age, she does look great. There is a fair amount of explicit and implicit sex but it is done in a tasteful manner.

Thomas Crown is a wealthy and adventurous businessman who savors a good challenge. 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.

Crown orchestrates an elaborate New York museum heist to steal a painting (San Giorgio Maggiore at dusk) by Monet valued at $100 million. The insurers of the artwork send ace insurance investigator Catherine Banning to assist Detective Michael McCann and the police 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."

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.

So pay attention and enjoy this treat. If you see it on DVD with none of the nude scenes and mild swearing removed make sure the kiddies are asleep.