The Thomas Crown Affair questions and answers

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The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) - 8 questions

Directed by John McTiernan, starring Denis Leary, Frankie Faison, Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo

The "questions" section is for any random questions that occurred to you while watching this film, or anything you didn't entirely understand, and which Google or the IMDb can't help with. Submit them as a question, and hopefully someone will answer (the bold comments in brackets) - check back regularly. If the answer is wrong, or missing information, please use the "clarify answer" option. Don't feel limited - want to know what music played in a certain scene? Whether this was the first film to use a certain effect? Here's the place to ask!

When Catherine breaks into Thomas Crowns house looking for the stolen painting before she finds it she gazes up at another painting with 7/8 women gazing into a pool of water, who is the artist and whats the painting called?

When Catherine is interrogating one of the thieves at the police station, what does she say to him and in what language? The police think they are Romanian, however she asks him a couple of questions in various languages and, I think, it is German that he finally responds to. What does she say to "break him"? [There is no way to know. No dialog was included in the script, only that she is whispering in his ear. Part of the point of the scene is that the police are mystified that she is able to get him to talk just by saying something.] Answered by MovieGuy

What song is that in the beginning? mainly piano music, I'm sure i have heard it in another movie somewhere but my mother says she's never heard it anywhere before. [It's a song by Nina Simone entitled "Sinnerman". It was also used in an episode of Scrubs and (in a remixed form) in the film Cellular.] Answered by Tailkinker

After the black and white ball, TC takes Katherine to his home for sex. While they are frolicking in his home the camera pans to a painting on the wall above them depicting a woman sitting at the bow of a sailboat with her dark hair blown back. Could anyone kindly tell me what the name of the painting is and also that of the artist? [The painting is "Certain Uncertainties" (1997) by Christian Vincent. The only image I could find online was here: http://www.forumgallery.com/b_vincen.htm.] Answered by Sierra1

Can anyone tell me what Katherine is drinking in the morning - the greenish blue drink - about which she says "Don't ask what it is"? I know its never answered in the movie, but can anyone make an educated guess? [It's a health drink that is primarily made of seaweed and sea-kelp. It's actually not that bad tasting.]

What is the name of the Monet painting that Thomas Crown loaned to the museum? [It's not actually a Monet. The painting is called "The Artist's Garden at Eragny", painted in 1898 by the French painter Camille Pissarro.] Answered by Tailkinker

How does he fold the Monet in half to fit into the briefcase? Originally I thought he'd separated it from the wooden frame (ie. just a canvas), but when he takes it out back at his house he holds it up, and the wooden frame's still in one piece. Also, surely folding it in half would crack the paint, but despite the painting being twice the width of the briefcase (it fits snugly when the case is open), he then shuts the case down to a "normal" size. Any ideas? [The only explanation I can come up with is that the inner part of the frame is precut. With the frame cut that way it would allow the picture to fold, but when unfolded it would be fairly rigid with the exception of bending it forward at that point. When he pulls the painting out, it still holds the square shape of the frame. Best I can come up with.]

I know this is all part of the mystery, but how the hell does he steal the second painting? Everything else he's planned you can see the logic behind, how it worked, etc., but there's no possible way he could have got to the second picture - all the gates were shut and locked, the metal fireguards were in place...any ideas? If anyone involved in the making/writing of it is reading this, can they please get in touch with me? [On the commentary track for the DVD the director states that he has no idea how Thomas Crown stole the final painting.]