Rating: 
Summary: It's all a con
Review: Steven Spielberg pulls the ultimate con with Catch Me If You Can. After all, both Hitchcock and Welles alluded to the fact that movies are the ultimate con. Speilberg, regardless how you feel about him, is one of the best at the game. With Catch Spielberg manages to recreate the era right down to the fondue forks perfectly. He also captures the loss of innocence during a time when globalization took flight allowing these type of things to happen.Leonard Dicaprio plays Frank Abagnale, Jr with all the warmth and manipulative charm one would expect from a 17 year old who managed to impersonate a French teacher at his own high school for a week, an airline pilot for Pam Am and an ER doctor. It's amazing what charm, a warm smile and salesmanship can do to move people into your back pocket. Tom Hanks plays against type here. His Tom Hanratty is a social inept but amazingly bright FBI agent that wrote the book check fraud. His lack of social grace clearly initially undermines his ability to negoiate promotion within the FBI. It's his smarts that save him and, surprisingly, the closer he gets to catching Abagnale, the more he comes to admire and pity him. He also picks up many of the social graces and characteristics that make Frank so likable. He still maintains his gruff FBI exterior but but softens overtime on the inside. Hanks gives a truly marvelous performance. It's a pity that they couldn't have given two Academy Awards for best supporting actor. Walken's turn as Frank's father is the most powerful he's done in years. He manages to capture the combination that drives Frank senior in all of a few scenes--his brashness, insecurity, salesmanship, charm and sadness. He's one of America's underappreciated actors. The rest of the cast is solid and manages to convey the feel of the time in their performances. John Williams' unusual score recalls the jazzy film scores from the late 50's and early 60's. It's one of Williams best least combastic scores in years. The Saul Bass like title design also manages to capture the feel of the time and films quite well. All of these elements capture the feel Spielberg was looking for. Spielberg, like Hitchcock, has his entertainments and his serious films. Catch Me is Spielberg's North By Northwest--it's not a lesser film because it isn't as serious as Minority Report or emotionally wretching as AI. Spielberg, like Hitch, manages the rare feat of tackling a number of themes, styles and types of films well. While Catch Me isn't Spielberg's best film, it's one of his richest and most enjoyable entertainments in years. Frank
Rating:
Summary: Good movie & good performances
Review: An interesting movie that seems to good to be true. The DVD comes with an interesting second DVD with extras. You'll realize that Spielberg took quite a few artistic licenses which I wish he hadnt.
Rating:
Summary: Portrait of a con man
Review: This movie is based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., an infamous con man who successfully pretended to be an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. When his beloved parents divorced, he ran away from home and lived by his wits, eventually developing techniques which enabled him to impersonate a man who had the credentials for several different occupations and who was able to cash bad checks all over the world. Leonardo DiCaprio turns in a smooth performance as Abagnale and he upstages Tom Hanks who is stuck in the role of a humorless FBI agent with a bad Boston accent. My husband heard Abagnale speak 30 years ago, and remembers his life much the way it is depicted in the movie. This is an enjoyable movie and an interesting look at a man who became whoever he wanted to be just by using his wits and charm.
Rating:
Summary: Tom's accent needed alot of work...
Review: I loved this movie! My husband and I watched it last night, however Tom Hank's accent was terrible!!! We were confused...was he trying to sound like he was from Boston or New York??? He "tried" to imatate both accents, which we thought was lousy. I'm from Boston and my husband is originally from NYC, so we know our stuff! Tom Hanks obviously does not. =) Otherwise we thought this was brilliant.
Rating: 
Summary: Leonardo is amazing...
Review: This was a "boyfriend" pick at the movies so I wasn't overly excited going into this, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Leonardo DiCaprio is a truly wonderful actor. I had actually only seen him in Titanic and it didn't showcase any of his abilities like this movie. His portrayal of Frank Abagnale was amazing. He was full of charm and so charismatic. He did a truly amazing job. Tom Hanks, who is wonderful in everything, was again...wonderful, but it would have been hard to compete with Leonardo's skills. Christopher Walken's performance as his father was very good. I really like Christopher Walken's style. I give this movie 5 stars. He portrayed a con-man that I really really liked. He was just soooo charming. Very good movie.
Rating:
Summary: Very Fun and Enjoyable!
Review: I just bought this movie yesterday and saw it for the first time last night. It started off a bit slow, but once the scams began so did the fun. Most people including me thought it was going to be a light-hearted comedy/drama due to the previews, but it really is more of a serious drama with some very sad moments. Don't get me wrong, the movie is a lot of fun and the 2 hour and 15 minute running time flys by. Leonardo Dicaprio finally finds a role that helps him to shine as an upcoming actor, and Tom Hanks is great as always as the serious cop who is on his trail. Another thing worth noting is that the costumes and soundtrack are stunning, and they time warp you back to the mid-60's. If you want an enjoyable movie with a touch of serious drama thrown into the mix, rent or buy this movie now!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring, nothing memorable
Review: A totally over-acted and over-directed film, and the plot is very predictable. Save the money and give it to charity, to make the world a better place.
Rating:
Summary: Cash This Check
Review: After his dark, sci-fi work on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Minority Report, Steven Spielberg returns to more lighter fare with the engaging and entertaining Catch Me If You Can. The film is based on the true story of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., who by the age of nineteen passes himself off as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer and cashes over four million dollars worth of fraudulent checks. The film is told in a flashback style, opening with Frank being extricated from a French prison and brought back to the U.S. to face charges and bounces back and forth between his trip home and his exploits in the previous few years. Leonardo DiCaprio is perfectly cast as Frank. His boyish good looks and charm work to his advantage as the young con man. Mr. DiCaprio gives a multi-layered performance as beneath the surface Frank is really a young man who is devastated by his parents divorce and wants only to please his father and see his parents back together again. Mr. DiCaprio has never been better and it is certainly the equal of his Oscar nominated performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Tom Hanks gives yet another superb performance as the dogged FBI agent Carl Hanratty who tracks Frank across the US and eventually to France where he finally captures him. Mr. Hanks plays Carl as a by-the-numbers agent, who shows no outward mercy to Frank, but has compassion for the kid because of his situation. Christopher Walken is excellent as well as Frank's father, who loses everything to the IRS because of a fraud investigation. His contempt towards the government as they strip away everything in his life is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Mr. Walken received a deserved nomination as Best Supporting Actor in 2002. There are other good performances by Amy Adams as a girl who Frank becomes engaged to, Martin Sheen as her father, Nathalie Baye as Frank's French mother and Jennifer Garner has a bizarre cameo as a model who propositions Frank for an evening of pleasure. While these performances are all since, they are mere sidebars to the triangle between Frank, Carl and Frank's father. The cat and mouse hunt between Frank and Carl is tension filled and briskly paced. Mr. Spielberg keeps the action moving and he never lets you up for air. The film has been criticized for not diving deeper into what made Frank do what he did or get in the mechanics of fraud, but that's not the point of the film. It is the chase between the two leads. You know that Frank will eventually get caught, but where, when and how will it happen. Mr. Spielberg does gloss over some issues and the film does take some liberties, most notably that is no real Carl Hanratty. Frank did have a main contact at the FBI, but there was a large team of investigators who tracked and caught him. But the role of Carl is needed in the film as the chase becomes personal and the emotional focus of the film. All in all, Catch Me If You Can is perfectly crafted film, full of lively performances, a sharp script and crisp direction. This film yet again shows why Mr. Spielberg is among the greatest directors of this or any generation.
Rating:
Summary: Spielberg, Hanks and DiCaprio try their hand at light comedy
Review: The problem with "Catch Me If You Can" depends on whether you are vexed with the director or the starring actors. If you go the Dawson Leery route and are a fan of Steven Spielberg then it seems the complaint is that this film is no "E.T.," "Jurassic Park" or "Schindler's List." But if you are a fan of Tom Hanks then the complaint would be that this is not a "Philadelphia," "Forrest Gump," or "Cast Away." The idea that Spielberg and Hanks, who worked together on "Saving Private Ryan," would spend there time on this trifle seems to be too much for some fans to take. But then Leonardo DiCaprio, who has seen little sign of the critical success ("What's Eating Gilbert Grape") or box office success ("Titanic") of his earlier days is probably just happy to have had movies with Spielberg and Martin Scorsese out at the same time. Okay, so "Catch Me If You Can" is not a great film. It is a very good film and that puts all the parties concerned ahead of the game given the standard fare from Hollywood. The story might not be about life and death, but it is certainly compelling. Young Frank W. Abagnale Jr (DiCaprio) runs away from home rather than deal with the divorce of his parents and has to live by his wits and the checkbook in his back pocket. It turns out his wits are pretty good and he is not only able to pass millions of dollars worth of bad checks, but pass himself off as an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer. Doggedly pursuing him is F.B.I. agent Carl Hanratty (Hanks), who knows that Frank is really a beggarman and thief. Actually, we know that Frank will get his man, because that is how the film opens, and it is as Hanratty is bringing Frank back to the United States from France that the story is revealed. "Catch Me If You Can," based on Abagnale's biography, is the story of an engaging rogue who uses his charm and aforementioned quick wits to get himself out of one sticky situation after another. The man had panache, which is exemplified when he has to get through the Miami airport despite the fact Hanratty has F.B.I. agents at every other line. The movie is not really a primer for a life of crime since Abagnale's did his con man act in the Sixties and technology has advanced well beyond his effective use of a bathtub full of water and model airplanes to make thousands of dollars. In addition to the questions regarding how Frank does it and how Hanratty catches him, there is the relationship between the two men as well as the relationship between Frank and his father (Christopher Walken), from whom he gets his charm and sense of larceny. It is when the film operates on this level that "Catch Me If You Can" becomes another classic Spielberg film, at least in the sense of the constant theme of symbolic fathers and sons, even if it never gets churned into real butter. This is an enjoyable film even if it does not fall into the category of joining other Spielberg, Hanks, and DiCaprio films that you have in your video library for convenient repeat viewing. There is a bonus disc with the DVD version, which only has 75 minutes worth of extra material, mostly about the real Frank Abegnale Jr. (maybe when Spielberg has to put kids through college or something he will break down and start doing commentary tracks so I can get enjoy a course in filmmaking in the comfort of my own home). If you really are insulted by Spielberg and Hanks doing this project, just wait until next year's "Terminal." Hang in there.
Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining and Intelligent Story
Review: Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale, a natural born con-man, and a real person. At first Frank is merely an imposter. However, as the movie progresses Frank begins to find out how easy it is to write bad checks and to forge documents that are his entry into jobs such as doctor, lawyer and even jet pilot. Eventually, the forgeries begin running into millions of dollars, and Frank risks making a mistake that will cause someone's death. Two events lead to Frank's eventual undoing. First, Frank falls in love. As with all great con men, falling in love is nearly always a precursor to doom, as we have previously discovered in movies such as "The Music Man" and "The Distinguished Gentleman". Once a con man falls in love, he begins to care, and once he begins to care, eventually he realizes that there are other things in life besides being a con man. The other event is a chance meeting with Tom Hanks, playing FBI agent Carl Hanratty. Once Tom Hanks is on the trail of Frank, he doesn't let go for the rest of the movie, eventually tracking him down and catching him. One of the problems with the movie is that it is a little difficult to understand Frank's motivations. Frank was put into a situation in his life where he felt he was in an untenable situation. Further, he was extremely intelligent. Frank didn't really think about becoming an imposter and writing bad checks, it just happened, and being successful as an imposter and at getting money by writing bad checks then created a lifestyle that in many ways Frank enjoys. However, if you have not been faced with the kind of emotional stress Frank faced, it may be difficult to understand why Frank did what he did. Another problem is with Tom Hanks. Tom plays a character similar to the character he played in "Dragnet". In some ways Carl Hanratty appears to be a stereotype. However, I can imagine that in the 1960s check fraud was not a high-profile and glamorous job in the FBI, instead relegated to nerdy types better suited for doing research than for breaking down doors and pulling guns. If you consider the kinds of people that historically have systematically written bad checks for large sums of money, these people are often intelligent and well-organized, and it requires a special skill to find these people. Carl Hanratty was perfect for the job, though initially somewhat naive. I was reminded of "The Great Imposter" starring Tony Curtis as I watched this movie. I was fascinated by the story of Ferdinand Demara, who typically impersonated doctors. Both that movie and this one have their strong points, but I give the nod to this movie for greater entertainment value, assuming you can get through the occasionally confusing first half of the movie. I am not a big Leonardo DiCaprio fan. However, Leo is a perfect fit as Frank Abagnale. In my opinion this role may be one of Leo's best performances, in the same league as his performance in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape". At the very least Leo should have gotten a nomination by someone for his acting in this movie, which was very good. Creating a movie such as this is a difficult task. It is sometimes difficult for a modern audience to put itself into an era that, while not so very long ago, is very different from what they have experienced. Further, it may also be difficult to understand the motivations of someone like Frank. Director Steven Spielberg tries very hard to accomplish both tasks. In the first part of the movie, I struggled somewhat trying to put the pieces together and follow the rapidly evolving plot, and sometimes had to pick up answers from later in the movie, but I felt overall the effort and the ending was worth the wait; 4 stars for a very entertaining movie about a challenging subject.
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