Review: DiCaprio A Beautiful Fake In 'Catch Me If You Can'
Spielberg Makes Real Story Entertaining
UPDATED: 12:21 p.m. EST December 25, 2002
'Catch Me If You Can' (PG-13)
The story of "Catch Me If You Can" is so outlandish, so preposterous, that you might be tempted to dismiss it as a fun caper dreamed up in some screenwriter's mind.
But the delicious part is that the story is real, and the capricious, mischievous performance of Leonardo DiCaprio is what makes it sing.
DiCaprio plays Frank William Abagnale -- a teenager whose parents are breaking up. But instead of choosing which parent to live with, Frank heads to the Big Apple and through a process of trial and error, becomes one of the best paperhangers (the feds name for check forgers) in the business.
But money isn't enough for Frank. He wants to be respected and have a good time -- a real good time.
Expanding on an earlier experience in which he fooled everyone for week pretending to be the French teacher's substitute, Frank ends up using his forgery skills and charm to become whatever he wants -- an airline pilot with a bevy of stewardesses, a doctor and even a lawyer.
By the time he is finished he has accumulated $4.1 million, and he has done it before he turns 18.
Hot on his trail is Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), an FBI agent with a grudging admiration for his suspect: he can't help but be fascinated by Frank's sheer audacity.
"Catch Me If You Can" is DiCaprio's time to shine. Hanks has his moments as an uptight, by-the-book agent, but this time his character is rather one-dimensional -- almost like he was doing Spielberg a favor by fitting this film into his crammed schedule.
Christopher Walken as Frank's beloved father perfectly matches DiCaprio's rhythms and performance. With Walken in the role, an extra layer of complexity and bizarreness infuses the film.
Unfortunately, with a film like this one, little nagging details are constantly cropping up. Like, the question of where he got his pilot ID number he needed to get his uniform.
It looked like Spielberg had fun mixing up the glamour and kitsch of the '60s with an almost Rat Pack vibe. After his recent spate of heavy message films, Spielberg deserves to lighten up and have a good time.
But the poignancy behind what drives Frank adds an emotional framework to what might have only been a light-hearted romp.
"Catch Me If You Can" won't fake you out -- it's first-rate entertainment.
The story of "Catch Me If You Can" is so outlandish, so preposterous, that you might be tempted to dismiss it as a fun caper dreamed up in some screenwriter's mind.
But the delicious part is that the story is real, and the capricious, mischievous performance of Leonardo DiCaprio is what makes it sing.
DiCaprio plays Frank William Abagnale -- a teenager whose parents are breaking up. But instead of choosing which parent to live with, Frank heads to the Big Apple and through a process of trial and error, becomes one of the best paperhangers (the feds name for check forgers) in the business.
But money isn't enough for Frank. He wants to be respected and have a good time -- a real good time.
Expanding on an earlier experience in which he fooled everyone for week pretending to be the French teacher's substitute, Frank ends up using his forgery skills and charm to become whatever he wants -- an airline pilot with a bevy of stewardesses, a doctor and even a lawyer.
By the time he is finished he has accumulated $4.1 million, and he has done it before he turns 18.
Hot on his trail is Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), an FBI agent with a grudging admiration for his suspect: he can't help but be fascinated by Frank's sheer audacity.
"Catch Me If You Can" is DiCaprio's time to shine. Hanks has his moments as an uptight, by-the-book agent, but this time his character is rather one-dimensional -- almost like he was doing Spielberg a favor by fitting this film into his crammed schedule.
Christopher Walken as Frank's beloved father perfectly matches DiCaprio's rhythms and performance. With Walken in the role, an extra layer of complexity and bizarreness infuses the film.
Unfortunately, with a film like this one, little nagging details are constantly cropping up. Like, the question of where he got his pilot ID number he needed to get his uniform.
It looked like Spielberg had fun mixing up the glamour and kitsch of the '60s with an almost Rat Pack vibe. After his recent spate of heavy message films, Spielberg deserves to lighten up and have a good time.
But the poignancy behind what drives Frank adds an emotional framework to what might have only been a light-hearted romp.
"Catch Me If You Can" won't fake you out -- it's first-rate entertainment. Copyright 2003 by Lifewhile.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
