You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Show FILM REVIEW Catch Me If You CanNYT Critic’s PickDirected by Steven SpielbergBiography, Crime, DramaPG-132h 21m
See the article in its original context from December 25, 2002, Section E, Page 1Buy Reprints TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Here in the land of opportunity, we pride ourselves on taking one another at face value. That's why in a culture that falls all over itself to invest glamorous images with substance, any quick-witted trickster can have a field day pretending to be what he's not. In the opening scene of ''Catch Me if You Can,'' Steven Spielberg's supremely entertaining portrait of a virtuoso impostor, its protagonist, Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), appears on ''To Tell the Truth,'' the archetypal television game show celebrating mendacity and fraud. Before his 19th birthday, the announcer proclaims, Frank successfully impersonated an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer, and made millions of dollars forging checks. As the camera surveys the three contestants, there's Mr. DiCaprio in the middle, the faintest twinkle of mischief in his snaky eyes, his baby face gone playfully poker. Mr. DiCaprio's portrayal of this brilliant fraud is, in a word, sensational (and far more confident, by the way, than his stolid star turn in ''Gangs of New York''). An extraordinarily fluid and instinctive actor, Mr. DiCaprio has always conveyed the slippery acuity of a chameleon whiz kid who could talk his way in and out of any situation, and his performance is a glorious exhibition of artful, intuitive slipping, sliding and wriggling. In ''Catch Me if You Can,'' the 28-year-old actor melts into the body and mind of a wily, precocious teenager who turns himself into a master forger. Adding depth to his performance is the flashing intensity with which he conveys Frank's mercurial bouts of insecurity and panic. Even while his character is flying high, Mr. DiCaprio understands that Frank is a wounded boy, and the actor remains in intimate touch with the childish desperation behind his bravado. Initially at least, Frank's goal isn't a selfish urge to find a shortcut to the high life, but to recoup the standard of living lost by his larcenous father, Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken), who is being hounded by the I.R.S. for tax fraud. The son also vaguely imagines that with enough money he can reunite his parents, who split up early in the movie. In the most poignant scene, a lawyer announces to the stunned youth that his parents are divorcing, and in the next breath insists he choose between them. Frank refuses and runs away from home to begin his career of kiting checks. A major strand of the film is a father-son love story, in which Frank hungrily absorbs his shady dad's lessons in deception, bribery and sweet talk. The chemistry between Mr. DiCaprio and Mr. Walken (giving one of his strongest, most sympathetic screen performances) is so charged the two actors actually seem to share the same reptilian genes. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Score - 78% This one was very good. Many call it an underrated Spielberg film and I thought that there was a lot of fun to be had. The film is not perfect however, there are some flaws. In this review I will dive into what worked for me, and the few things that didn’t work for me. To begin with that opening scene, I think that this was a directorial choice by Spielberg, that didn’t fully work. In the opening scene, you see almost the end of the story, and then cut back. I think that this almost took away from the moment when he was captured, because there was no doubt in our minds that he would be captured. I think that it would have been better if the moment was recontextualised later. However, I did quite like how Spielberg keeps going back to this moment, and we are able to see what these characters think of what they did in the past. Spielberg for the rest of the film is great, giving the film its own unique feel, and creating the perfect level of mystery. We are also introduced to our two leads here, Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr. and Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty, our detective. Leo really showed himself here, and I think this performance was one of the reasons why he is so famous today. He plays a man who was once so confident, and then turns into scared and acceptance of his capture later on. Tom Hanks is the standout however, he plays such a serious character. He is so focussed on this case that we see it so well, and he proves yet again why he is one of the best in Hollywood. The first act really dives into the set up for the film, as we see why Leo does what he does. There are some great scenes in here, particularly the school scene, that is quite iconic. I think that the two parents, played by Christopher Walken and Nathalie Baye were great. They conveyed such emotion in this film, Walken played a character trying to look so strong, but really is falling apart. I this that this groundwork is so important here, and I am so glad that Spielberg kept in these scenes. One of my issues is that I do not fully buy into Leo’s character’s motivation. I understand that he feels lost, but I don’t fully buy it. I might be missing something, but the running away feels out of nowhere for me. I did enjoy seeing Leo’s turn, as we have some montages that were enjoyable. Also, the sets and costumes for the planes and character designs were super great and a special shout out should go to Jeannine Oppewall and Mary Zophres. The second act is when we saw Tom Hanks come in. I think that this makes the film take a great turn for the better, as it creates a cat and mouse feel. Any scene with Hanks in were the standout scenes, and seeing him figure out the mystery was stunning. Out focus was on Leo, and I wish we saw just a bit more of Hanks. One of the standout scenes in here was one where we thought Leo was found, but he works his way out of it in a great way. Leo’s story was enjoyable, as we begin to see how this life isn’t enjoyable for him. He tries to settle down with Amy Adam’s character of Brenda Strong. She was so innocent, and it was so hard to watch as she found out that Leo is actually a fraud. The pacing was really good in here, as when you think it is about to drop, you get a Hanks scene and you are back into it. One scene when Hanks thinks he has found Leo, but actually hasn’t and you see Leo leave was so great, and I loved Spielberg’s direction in here. One other thing that I would like to mention as I feel like the cinematography could be a bit better. I think that Janusz Kaminski could have done a better job. The third act sees Leo leave it all and fully commit. There was a scene of him really showing his fraud in a university that was fun to watch. We see Leo’s capture after this, and it feels great for Hanks to catch him, it was so satisfying. We actually see a bond between Hanks and Leo, which I wasn’t expecting. It was enjoyable, but I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know if it was necessary but it does finish Hanks’ arc in a nice way. However, the end point feels a bit generic, and I don’t like the text on the screen. Overall, this film has a lot of good, particularly the performances, direction, second act and pacing. It has some issues, notably Leo’s motivation, a generic ending and I would have liked to see a bit more Hanks in here. Is it worth to watch Catch Me If You Can?Yes, Catch Me If You Can is a good movie. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and tells the story of a young con man who is pursued by an FBI agent. It has a great cast, an entertaining story, and some thrilling moments. It is a fun movie to watch and has a very positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. What is the message in Catch Me If You Can?Ultimately, "Catch Me If You Can" is a story of redemption. Frank Abagnale, after years of deception, uses his skills for good and helps the FBI catch other fraudsters. This highlights the potential for individuals and companies to turn their past mistakes into opportunities for growth and positive impact. Is there anything inappropriate in Catch Me If You Can?There were multiple sex scenes, not extremely explicit but there were several, with different women, and included prostitution . We skipped past those scenes as they are not appropriate for a 12 year old. What is the ethical dilemma in Catch Me If You Can?Catch Me If You Can illustrates the costs, rewards, and ethical dilemmas of deception and self-disclosure in interpersonal relationships. One of the many morals to the story is that money and prestige cannot satisfy the basic human need to be known and loved by others. |
