Review of Catch Me If You Can (2002) by Adam S — 21 Oct 2014
"Catch Me If You Can" is a really fun light-hearted crime caper, based on the true story of con-man Frank Abagnale Jr. Anchored by great acting and with a touch of Spielberg flair, this movie is a real bit of fun.
Frank Abagnale Jr is a teenager born with a silver spoon in his mouth, only to have it all ripped away. The son of a businessman and con-man, Frank Abagnale Sr, the lives of the Abagnales are thrown into chaos when they lose all their assets through a tax fraud investigation. Shortly afterwards, Frank's parents get a divorce and Frank runs away from home. Forging cheques and convincing the world that he's someone he's not, Frank poses as an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer and a James Bond-like figure as he fights to stay one step ahead of the FBI and Agent Carl Hanratty.
The film is solidly anchored by the performances of the two leads - Leonard DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Adding to their performance is a star-studded supporting cast that includes such names as Christopher Walken, Amy Adams and Martin Sheen, alongside early bit-roles for Jennifer Garner and Elizabeth Banks, and a small cameo by the real-life Frank Abagnale Jr.
This film, admittedly, doesn't have the weight of some of Spielberg's 90's output (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, etc), but that's not a bad thing, having more of the Indiana Jones feel of Spielberg's earlier work. The dialogue moves the film along at a cracking pace, and it's very hard to look away.
A really fun movie. You can't argue with that.
This review of Catch Me If You Can (2002) was written by Adam S on 21 Oct 2014.
Catch Me If You Can has generally received very positive reviews.
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