Rating: 
Summary: Worth the Chase
Review: "Catch Me If You Can" is the dramatization of the semi-true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a man who, during the 1960s, managed to con his way from woman to woman, and locale to locale. Abagnale lived his life of deceit all before the age of 20. There have been some liberties taken with the story (isn't that always the case with film?), but you get the overall picture of what his life was like at the time. It makes for an interesting, engaging movie. This will not be a deep, meaningful 2 hours you spend, watching this film, but it will be enjoyable.Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr., a teenager living at home with his mother and father, living what seems to be, by all intents and purposes, a 'normal' life. Then we begin to see the layers of the family's life come apart and unravel. Frank Sr., played with subtle depth by Christopher Walken, is being hounded by the IRS. He has lost all of the family's money. Then, the mother sees fit to find her comfort elsewhere, if you know what I mean. The family falls apart. Frank Jr., unable to handle this, runs away. And thus begins the main thrust of "Catch Me If You Can". Frank Jr.'s role model growing up was his father, who we can infer from his IRS troubles wasn't the most proper businessman on the face of the planet. Frank Jr. follows in his footsteps. He runs the gamut, from check forgery to false identities. The junior Frank criss-crosses the nation, finding a woman in every city, and prosperity at every turn (all through deceit, of course). FBI agent Carl Hanratty, played with hilarious deadpan by Tom Hanks, is constantly on Abagnale's trail, but always seems to be a step behind. This doesn't feel like a Steven Spielberg movie and, though I hardly ever thought I'd be saying this, that is a good thing. At times, Spielberg's hand can be a tad heavy over the atmosphere of a film, and this particular tale needs to be let free to just simply tell its story. And it is. The movie flows effortlessly from scene-to-scene, plot point-to-plot point, and it's a good, smooth ride. Tom Hanks does the most perfect portrayal of a thick-rimmed glasses, stuffy personality 'suit' that you could hope for. Leonardo DiCaprio, though about ten years older than the part he plays, still looks boyishly handsome, and once again gives us a strong, confident performance. He just gets better with each role he undertakes, and he already started out as the best of his generation. Christopher Walken deserves accolades for his role as Frank Abagnale Sr. There are so many scenes where he simply simmers with complexity. One scene, in particular, filled me with so much sympathy for the character that I immediately thought 'he needs to get an Oscar nomination for this'. "Catch Me If You Can" won't change your life. It isn't some profound piece of film such as "Schindler's List", or "Saving Private Ryan". No, Spielberg has left that behind, for the moment, and instead has given us a solid, well-structured, appealing chase film that doesn't feel like a chase film. And the opening credits are some of the most creative I've seen in a long time - a fun blend of sixties jazz and cartoon frolic. John William's score is also excellent. There isn't much to *not* recommend about this film. Most enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: great
Review: Catch Me If You Can
10 Of 10
I Really Liked This Movie Allot. It Was Surprisingly Good But Very Long.
Frank Abagnale Was Only 19 Years Old When He Became The Most
Wanted Con Man In America. Carl A FBI Agent Will Do Anything To
Catch Abagnale. His Father Frank Abagnale Senior Wont Let Him CatchHis Son. With Over $3,000,000 In Fraudulent Checks The Search Is on.Christopher Walken , Leonardo Di Caprio , And Tom Hanks All Deserve Oscars. This In Fact Deserves Best Picture. It's Got My Vote. This MovieIs An Brilliant And Well Played Masterpiece Where There's Never A Dull Moment. Steven Spielberg Finnallly Got It Right. Two Huge Thumbs Way Way Up.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting And Fun - Tom Is Always Good!
Review: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is a very charming film directed by Stephen Spielberg (ET-The Extraterrestrial, Minority Report). It is a period piece and the detail to costumes and set design is very interesting and accurate. It made me wonder how much was actually special effects and how much was real. It's got humor sprinkled throughout and when you see what the ending tells you - you'll walk out of the theatre in amazement. The story is that of 16 year-old played by Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, Gangs of New York) who cons his way into the airline business, medical field and in the Legal profession. His learns the scheming ways from his father who is brilliantly played by Christopher Walkin (The Dead Zone, America's Sweethearts). Now, the FBI catches on to forged checks and sees a pattern develop and then assigns Tom Hanks (Apollo 13, Castaway, Splash) to try and track him down and incarcerate him Spielberg directed this one with a little flair and a lot of attention to detail. It has humorous moments and a lot of interesting facets on the FBI, their procedures and what a clever boy can really do. As a result of his worldly travels he ends up falling in love and the kicker of it all is the ending when you read the text on the screen that tells you what happened to these two men and what their doping today. I liked this movie - although a little long in length - it was much better than AI. This one is one I think the whole family can enjoy - if you can wait the length of the movie. (1-22-03)
Rating:
Summary: Catch this movie if you can!
Review: December is typically the time of year that movie studios release all of their 'serious' movies just in time to be considered for Oscar nominations. While this invariably leads to wealth of excellent films to see, most of them are exactly 'fun' to watch. "Catch Me If You Can" is a welcome break from the dour natures of the films this time of year and is a very entertaining viewing experience. In fact, if it were not for the Academy of Motion Pictures disdain for comedies and multi-genre films (this would qualify is a 'dramedy'), "Catch Me..." might have a shot at a few Oscars, too.
"Catch Me If You Can" tells the real-life story of one of the most unlikely, accomplished con artists in U.S. History, Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). Abagnale was responsible for impersonating an airline pilot, a doctor, an assistant attorney general, a history professor, and forging $2.5 million in counterfeit checks. The real kicker is that he did all this before he even reached the age of 18! Ironically, Abagnale currently is one of the most sought after experts by banks and business when it comes to check fraud and developing methods to guard against it. Although there are likely some embellishments to enhance the dramatic value of this movie, "Catch Me..." by and large sticks closely to facts of the story.
In the movie, Abagnale (DiCaprio) first realizes his gift for the con when, at a new school, he takes advantage of a substitute teacher's tardiness and impersonates being a teacher, himself. It's not important that he didn't have that much greater knowledge over the class material than they other students. What was important was that he had the charisma and charm to make the rest of the class think he did. A key scene early in the movie takes place when Abagnale's parents are called to the principal's office because the school found out about Frank's scam. Instead of coming down hard on Frank, his father, Frank Abagnale Sr. (played with understated grace by Christopher Walken), jokes with his son about it and almost seems proud of it. Frank Sr., unfortunately, is one of those lost souls in life, who seems to have the perfect American family, but is really more of a loser who is watching all he worked for come unraveled (a failing business and a failing marriage). Frank Sr. seems proud of Frank Jr. because the younger has the ability to actually pull off the scams that the older tries and fails to do. It's a very telling moment, because it foreshadows the motivation for the path in life Frank Jr. would take because Frank Sr. chose to be a cheerleader rather than a father.
After his parents divorce, Frank Jr. decides to run away and use his 'skill' to make a living. This is where "Catch Me..." takes the audience on a long journey through the various professions and scams of Abagnale's mentioned above. To be able to fund his 'adventures', Frank uses his intelligence and charm to discover all manner of ways to get false checks cashed. As he becomes more adept at this task, he also attracts the attention of FBI Check Fraud division and agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). Abagnale begins to move across the country and pick up new professions while managing to stay one step ahead of, but still in contact with, agent Hanratty. The irony of Hanratty's pursuit of Abagnale is that Hanratty understands Frank better than Frank does, at least in terms why he is doing these scams. In trying to stop Frank and help him rehabilitate himself, Hanratty becomes the father figure that Frank Sr. never was.
"Catch Me If You Can" is simply one of those funs movies that make the movie going experience worthwhile. Hanks plays agent Hanratty well as somewhat clumsy, stodgy, and determined pursuer. Walken gives what could (and should) be an award-winning performance as Frank Sr. The true pleasant surprise here, though, is Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Frank Jr. After years of self-important behavior and an almost total disappearance from big screen in the aftermath of "Titanic's" massive hype machine, it's nice to see DiCaprio back as a likable character in a good role. He has probably learned his lessons about what fame can do and, combined with his role in "Gangs of New York", has likely signaled a return to the successful acting career many people expected of him from his earliest days. In concert with the other fine performances, DiCaprio helps make "Catch Me If You Can" a cinematic treat.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Movie!
Review: An enormously entertaining movie from the master of cinema Stephen Spielberg. This has got to be the 4th best movie of 2002! Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Frank Abagnale, Jr., a dazzling young con man who spent four years impersonating an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer--all before he turned 21. All the while he's pursued by a dedicated FBI agent named Carl Hanratty ), whose dogged determination stays one step behind Abagnale's spontaneous wits. Both DiCaprio and Hanks turn in enjoyable performances and the movie has a bouncy rhythm that keeps it zipping along. However, it never gets under the surface of Frank's drive to lose himself in other identities, other than a simplistic desire to please his father. In my oppinion, this is a must see for anyone that has good taste. ...if I were you I'd get out there and see this movie as soon as possible.
Rating:
Summary: Lighthearted Fun
Review: It's nice to have a Spielberg movie that doesn't have to be loaded with portent. Don't get me wrong, I like portent, but I went to this expecting escapism (based on the trailers) and I got it in spades! I was immediately caught up in the movie and enchanted by the light story. The characters were all likable. The period details really great (check out DiCaprio's Bachelor pad when he's pretending to be a doctor). Even the John William's score works nicely for a change. Everyone is working in the same light-hearted vein, and the tone is very nice and consistent throughout. DiCaprio is very charming and believable, and in his few serious scenes, he brings some real pain to the proceedings. I hope this and Gangs of New York helps us remember that he actually was (and is) a good actor, and not just that obnoxious playboy from the post-Titanic days. Tom Hanks is great: we root for him to catch DiCaprio, and we root for DiCaprio not to get caught. That's part of the fun! And Christopher Walken really gives one of his best performances in a long time. He's the most "serious" character in the film, but he shows terrific heart and spirit, and only occasionally falls back to his "creepy" mannerisms. This is not a serious work. It is meant to lighten your mood with a competent, straightforward telling of a truly engaging story. And it succeeds. I say "catch it if you can." REGARDING OTHER REVIEWS I'VE SEEN SAYING THE MOVIE ISN'T FUNNY AND AUDIENCES AREN'T LAUGHING: The audience I saw this movie with was in stiches. Yes,it has it's serious moments, but the most memorable comedies always do. It isn't slapstick. But IT IS FUNNY, and I don't hesitate for a minute to recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Not as stupid as the previews make it out to be
Review: When I first saw the previews to this movie I REALLY did not want to see it. It came off as a stupid comedy more suited to the Joe Sixpack's of the world.
So when a bunch of my friends all wanted to see it I was sort of forced into it but let me say I am so glad I saw this movie. The movie was intelligent and heart warming. Exciting and very funny. In fact, I would have to be hard pressed to find things wrong with it.
I give the movie 5 stars but I give the people who put the previews together a big fat 1 star. Even the poster of the movie gives the impression that half of the movie is Tom Hanks physicially chasing Leonardo DiCaprio.
Trust me on this one, folks, it's a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: ...definitely catch it if you can
Review: Leo turns in a super fun and super poignant performance as 16 year old Frank Abagnale, Jr. (note the Jr.--he is very proud of his dad!). He is a little boy lost who makes the best of things when his father (Christopher Walken, in one of his typically quirky and unique performances...is that guy crazy or what???)--the only hero he has--goes under finacially and emotionally. Walken is forced into giving up his house, business, and French war trophy chippy of a wife in one fell swoop all because of "the damn IRS--they are after me all the time!" he claims. The truth is, he overstretched himself, probably because his immigrant wife wanted a nice house, a Cadillac, all those things that Americans wanted in the post WWII years. When their little American dream is shattered, Leo has to choose between parents when the divorce papers are being signed. Unwilling to do this because he loves them both, he gets up and runs out of the house at the tender age of 16. Making the best of things out on the street, he uses his wits to carve out a new life for himself, embellishing the con games his father taught him, bumping them up to a way larger scale. Vastly intelligent, he is able to figure out how to impersonate a pilot, a James Bondian glamor type with a "little silver sports car", a pediatrician and a lawyer all before the age of 19. He does it for the money, but more than that..he does it for his beloved, failing in health, ne'er do well, but good hearted dad. He is immature enough, for all his con man ways, to think that money can put his family back together again. He wants his dad to get his mother back, so they can all return to the way things were. In the long run, it turns out he is just a kid, a devoted son, who idolizes his father through thick and thin. So that is what drives Frank(Leo). What drives Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks, who generously "gives" the movie to Leo, which does them both a service in this case), the FBI agent who relentlessly and unglamorously pursues Frank throughout his conman career? Carl is driven by the emptiness at the core of his life, too. His family is broken, just like Leo's. The two make quite a pair. Their relationship is understandable, and touching, as you will see. All anyone wants is a little love I guess, and someone to come home to. If you watch this enjoyable and witty movie, that is what you will be expected to believe is the real American Dream--a family to count on.
Rating:
Summary: Splendid Cinema!
Review: Now this is a great movie. It's got class, great acting, wonderful story, great musical score, and Tom Hanks. What more could you ask for in a movie? This is a must see now kind of a film. It has it's share of laughs and has surprises of its' own. I would highly recommend seeing this. It's a masterpiece. Easily one of the best pictures of the year!!!
Rating:
Summary: Now You See Him... Now You Don't
Review: "Catch Me if You Can" is a smart and occasionally funny film that shows you that sometimes the most outrageous stories are the ones that are true. Yes, this was inspired by a true story. How close to the facts it stayed is unknown to me, but what is known is that this was a film that kept me intrigued and in awe from start to finish. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr.; a young and bright kid who can con with the best of them. How he got there is that he has learned from the best, his father. Things get shaky when his parents are undergoing investigations from the IRS and his mother wants to get a divorce. Not knowing what else to do, Frank runs away and tries his best to make it on his own by doing what he does best: con. Posing in many different occupations such as an airline co-pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer triggers a cat/mouse chase conducted by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Hanks). The movie keeps your attention throughout and leaves you unsure of what's going to happen next. I loved everything about this movie. It was ten times better than I thought it would've been, mainly because the trailers do mislead you (as many have said) into thinking that you're going to be seeing a whacky chase comedy with all sorts of shenanigans and mishaps. Well, yes it is a funny movie at times, but I don't think I would really label it as a comedy. A lot of the things that happen in the film are actually heartbreaking and sad. So be aware of that when you decide to buy a ticket for this one. The performances were more than ingenious. Tom Hanks is as great as ever and really takes his role to the limit while DiCaprio also proves to be a fabulous actor as well, and also is able to show us there is life after "Titanic." Everybody else was really great in the film, especially the great Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale Sr. (your eyes never leave his sight when he's on the screen). Stephen Spielberg does an outstanding job of orchestrating this wildly unpredictable film. It doesn't always have to be sci-fi this or aliens-that when it comes to his films. He's able to expose the heart of the story with ease in this film, not cheating us out of anything at any point during the entire movie. I wished he'd do more films like these because he's really good at it. Although I do love some of sci-fi films like "Minority Report," I think his more realistic films like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List" is when you get to see his true and unique talent at its absolute best. "Catch Me if You Can" was a pleasant surprise for me. I did not plan on liking it as much as I did, which in itself is a pretty neat quality of the film. Just remember that this isn't supposed to be a "dead-on" comedy. There are funny and amusing moments, but some of the things you will see are actually sad in some cases. Still, this is a very well-made movie with top notch performances that definitely deserve recognition. Very worth your time.
|
