Catch Me If You Can (2002) is best described as a cat-and-mouse game between two of the best actors of our time. The film tells the story about Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) who successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing in several high-end jobs during the 1960s. In charge of hunting him down and arresting him is FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) who chases Abagnale across the world for years. Oh, and it’s a real-life tale, though it’s hard to believe as I was smiling almost constantly. This ambitious crime caper is nothing short of exciting that you remain glued to the screen for the full two-hour runtime.
I can’t really go into much detail about the plot without giving away some major spoilers. I can only tell you the film begins when Frank is sixteen when he runs away from home after his parents (Christopher Walken and Nathalie Baye) have a messy divorce and he has to choose between them for custody. Unable to face the truth, Frank begins to con his way through life eventually catching the attention of the FBI. Though this film is a biography, it doesn’t rely on opening with “based on a true story” in order to be a good film – although the fact that Frank could do even half of what he did before he became an adult is impressive.
Leonardo DiCaprio is unsurprisingly brilliant at capturing the character of Frank Abagnale Jr. The real life Abagnale originally said that he did not believe DiCaprio to be ‘suave’ enough to play the role, but he certainly does pull it off. DiCaprio’s expertly presents the challenging role of Abagnale as an endearing character simultaneously illustrating to the audience Abagnale’s genius (albeit misguided) and his naivety regarding his family. His personality exudes charm and charisma, making it easy to see how he conned so many for so long. Tom Hanks also gives a standout performance as the obsessed FBI agent Carl Hanratty. While there isn’t a Carl Hanratty in real-life, Hanks who is a seasoned actor by then, does a remarkable job at displaying his character’s intelligence while developing a begrudging friendship with Abagnale throughout the movie.
The minor characters are equally important. Christopher Walken gives a great performance in an already rich career. His last scene as he talks to his son is so moving and reflects his exceptional talent. You can understand why DiCaprio admires and loves his father. Walken conveys these emotions and makes the audience sympathetic to his and his son’s plights. I can see why he was nominated for an Oscar. Natalie Baye also gives a brilliant role as Jr.’s selfish mother. We don’t see too much of her when compared to the other supporting cast but her appearance has a big impact on her son’s life and in turn, the rest of the film.
I don’t think I need to go into too much detail about how talented Steven Spielberg is as a director, given that he had already directed the Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park trilogies as well as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). But I will. Unlike Spielberg’s prior films, Catch Me If You Can departs from his usual standard, proving he is more than capable of creating an entertaining film without the use of expensive special effects. He captures the image of the 60s very well and demonstrates a sense of comedic timing that is rarely found nowadays with both DiCaprio and Hanks each delivering some effectively hilarious moments.
Another highlight from this film is another fantastic score by John Williams. While not as memorable as his usual work, it is what the film needs it to be – unobtrusive and slick and it shows very well. It is very unusual and entrancing with shushing sounds and finger snaps in place of Williams normal bombast which reinforces the idea that we are in unusual territory, for both a Spielberg film and a Williams score. That being said, it was enough to earn him an Academy Award nomination that year.
While Catch Me If You Can was pretty unusual for a Spielberg film at the time, there’s no denying now it is an expertly crafted tale. Though my only gripe is with the runtime and how some of the scenes dragged out, this is still one of my favourite biographic films in no small part to Spielberg’s directing and DiCaprio and Hanks performances. I don’t know how many parts are true (especially given the subject matter), but I will say if you want an entertaining film with likeable characters, that isn’t too heavy, then this is definitely a film you should catch some time soon.
Jacobs Reel Reviews 