Catch Me If You Can (2002) Review

Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), one of the most famous con artists in history, worked as a co-pilot for a major airline, was a doctor and a lawyer, all before he turned 18. Abagnale, Jr. became the most successful bank robber in American history when he was just 17 years old. When he catches the eye of FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), the agent makes it his sole purpose in life to catch the audacious conman, but Frank is always one step ahead of Hanratty.

Catch Me If You Can represented a noticeable change of pace for director Steven Spielberg. Coming off darker films like Saving Private Ryan (1998) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), this film was of a much lighter tone, not without its emotional moments, and the audience can feel the old Spielberg, the lighthearted director who made classics such as Hook (1991) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) come forth and it is brilliant to see him in his element once again. The film is in many ways a call back to the movies Spielberg would have grown up with in the late '50s and early 60s. Some say this era is the last age of innocence, before the counterculture, the Manson Murders, Watergate and international terrorism, and when a teen could become one of the worse, or best,

depending on how you see it, con artists of all time.

The film is inspired by the life of Frank Abagnale, who ran away from his home when he was 16 after he found out his beloved parents were getting a divorce. Through five years, he managed to pass himself off as a teacher, airline pilot, doctor and lawyer, at the same time using fraudulent checks to earn himself millions. Catch Me If You Can is a story of cat and mouse between Frank and FBI agent Carl Hanratty, who is made up of several real-life agents who worked the case. DiCaprio, at his boyish best as Frank, is fast thinking and loving the new high life he finds himself in during his five-year joy ride that is accompanied by clothes and women that James Bond would be jealous of. The man looking to capture the conman, Hanks' Hanratty, is a surly, humour deprived divorcee whose only human interaction comes while at work and at the laundromat while cleaning his cheap suits. Doing no favours to his bleak nature, every time he is close to getting his man, Frank gives him the slip to the disbelief of Hanratty's bosses.

Spielberg is at his best in this film and there are a few truly perfect scenes. In one of the most important and significant scenes in the film, Spielberg uses lighting to help communicate the unspoken words in the scene. The scene is when Hank’s FBI agent meets Frank Abagnale Jr.’s father (Christopher Walken). At the scene, Hanratty is informing Mr. Abagnale of all the crimes his son has been committing, as he tries to get him to give up his son's whereabouts. But Mr. Abagnale tells the agent he loves his son too much to ever turn him in. However, there is an underlying motivation for Mr. Abagnale not to turn his beloved son in. He receives a monthly income from his now incredibly rich son and if he was to turn in his son then he would also be turning in his cash flow. Ironically, the FBI agent who wants to catch Frank to put him in prison has a different view of Frank than his father. Hanratty feels for the young man, wants the best for him because he realises how young the conman or more suitably the Conboy is, even though he knows Frank has to serve for his crimes. Both men in the scene care for Frank, but in vastly different ways. Mr. Abagnale was a conman himself and loves his son but loves the money he was getting from his son as well, maybe even more than he loves his son. Hanratty knew he needed to find Frank as soon as possible but wanted fair treatment for the teen as he sympathized with him and his extremely tough family life. Much of this is reflected by the lighting in this scene. Since there is a backlight, the two characters appear as shadowy silhouettes. The ominous vibe created by the lighting suggests something dodgy is happening in the house. However, the main light that's seen in the scene is coming from the side of where Hanratty is. This indicates that, even though the father is expected to play the "good guy," the agent genuinely cares for Frank Abagnale Jr and wants what is best for the young man. This is implied by the light that covers the agent's body. Mr. Abagnale's stern facial expression is emphasized by the light, but the agent is not to be seen. This gives Mr. Abagnale a more menacing look, which contributes to the overall impression.

Spielberg brings together an amazing production team to create a stylized look of late-'50s movies to the adventures of Frank. A chic cartoon opening credit sequence with a jazzy and late-'50s television show influenced score by the great John Williams leads to Janusz Kaminski's bright, stunning cinematography and the suave wardrobe brought to the film by the always fashionable Mary Zophres.

Noticeably darker than predicted-abortion and infidelity simmer under a disappointingly glistening shine-the film calls for the finest calibre of screen presence and Spielberg's casting brings together an unparalleled ensemble. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Frank Abagnale, Jr. coming off a box office flop, but a film that is still underrated today, The Beach (2000). He was still the ‘it’ boy of Hollywood, but not everyone thought he was a good choice for the charming conman. The real Frank Abagnale, Jr. believed DiCaprio was not "suave" enough to portray him on the silver screen. He would change his mind after seeing the final film. DiCaprio's performance was further evidence that he was a generational talent, as if anyone needed any more proof. Tom Hanks added to his already long list of amazing performances with his portrayal of the FBI Agent Carl Hanratty. Sadly, many do not think of this role as one of Hanks' best, but it should certainly be in his top ten. He manages to add complex layers to an ordinary man and FBI agent, something very few actors have done when portraying these types of roles. In a cast as star packed as this film, it would be incredibly hard for any of them to steal the movie, but one actor managed just that. Christopher Walken. He manages to bring such authenticity to the role of Frank Abagnale, Jr.’s father. His performance is one of the most emotionally driven in the last 20 years. If it fails to draw tears from you and does not make you reflect on your relationship with your own father, then there is truly something wrong with you. The rest of the cast included some of the most respected names and some rising stars of Hollywood at the time: Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, Jennifer Garner, James Brolin, Ellen Pompeo and Elizabeth Banks.

Catch Me If You Can may be a little bit more of a slow burn than expected, but that does not stop it from being wildly entertaining from start to finish, from its sassy beginning to its dark conclusion.