Movie Review: “Catch Me If You Can”

   Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical crime drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale, a man who was successfully able to con away millions of dollars by pretending to be a pilot, a doctor, and a prosecutor.

   The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and brings with it a considerable cast comprised of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, alongside Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, and Nathalie Baye in supporting roles.

   I had high expectations for Catch Me If You Can, who wouldn’t, given the names involved. Likewise, too, I had found myself in a real ‘Leonardo DiCaprio’ kick in recent years, with the actor consistently wowing me in his various roles. By the end, I believed it lived up to my most reasonable standards. Tom Hanks may not have blown me away in his performance, serving more as simply a satiable “reactor” to DiCaprio’s far more interesting shenanigans. Hanks was more or less tasked with playing the straight man / verging on buffoonery. Similar to The Departed (another DiCaprio film) or, maybe, Fury, the film follows dual rivals, however, the feud itself doesn’t necessarily captivate me in the same way either of those films did.

   By design, Catch Me If You Can is Leonardo DiCaprio’s film, or more specifically, Frank Abagnale’s, and for good reason. The sheer audacity of some of what was pulled off (although surely glamorized for cinema) is crazy to think about. Leonardo approaches the role with a cool confidence that makes the character so likable and easy to root for in spite of his crimes and general disregard for other people.

   Although I wouldn’t consider the film as a crown jewel in either actor’s filmography, it is supremely watchable in its execution. This is a film that goes down smooth and easy with little lulls happening in-between, benefiting by the story itself and the easygoing approach helmed by director Steven Spielberg.