A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Date Viewed: 12/26/02

Details:

Leonardo DiCaprio

Tom Hanks

Christopher Walken

Martin Sheen

James Brolin

Director: Steven Spielberg

Score: 1/2

The Review: Be patient; it gets better.

"Inspired by a true story" (originally published in 1980 with co-author Stan Redding) -- by and about Frank W. Abagnale, who himself plays a cameo as a French policeman -- Frank Jr (DiCaprio) has, in a way, been born into the confidence game ("the con"). His father (Walken) is not beyond using a bit of the con to bootstrap himself through some suspicious financial difficulties, importing Frank Jr into the game when it seemed called for. Later, on the rebound from tense familial problems, Frank Jr runs towards money -- and along the way acquires a pilot's uniform, a doctor's white coat, a lawyer's briefcase, and a pursuing FBI case agent (Hanks) on the trail of what turns out to be millions in fraudulent checks. This is a period piece, capturing some of the euphoria of the late 60's, when professional credentials appear to have been of a qualitatively different nature than they are today.

Although starting (very) slowly, this builds to an interesting cat and mouse game -- Hanks as feline to DiCaprio's murine protagonist. But few mice have such massive cahones: shiny brass and as big as all Manhattan. This is clear from the first time he steps in front of his high school French class impersonating a substitute teacher (a scene which is perhaps the high point of the entire movie). But I wonder if this will appeal to you more if you've already been on (or near) the con -- it certainly seems a niche film with a minimal audience beyond those drawn by the names of Spielberg, Hanks, or the mouse himself.

Decent acting, but with an odd timeline: watch the captions and figure out the narrative ebb and flow. Very well done opening title animation, evocative of some of the movies of the era.

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