Rating: Summary: Catch this film if you can! Review: "Catch Me If You Can" is based on the true story of former con artist, Frank Abagnale Jr., directed by Steven Speilberg.PLOT SUMMARY: In "Catch Me...", Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Frank Abagnale Jr., a teenager of the 60's who's life abruptly changes when his parents (played by Christopher Walken and Nathalie Baye), get a divorce. His father was being investigated by the FBI, and Frank, not wanting to have to choose between living with his mother or father, took off. Now on the run, Frank needed money. He had no previous job experience or college education. So what did he do? He changed his name, forged checks, and disgused himself as a co-pilot for a Pan Am jet, became a lawyer, and a doctor--all without licenses! After investing over $2.5 million, he eventually got the FBI's attention...one particular FBI agent however, Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), did and risked everything to catch Frank and put him to justice. MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: "Catch Me If You Can" was clever, witty, and a quirky film. It was fast-paced with excellent, Oscar-worthy performances delivered (especially by DiCaprio and Hanks--who, by the way, made a terrific dueo team) by the entire cast. The screenplay, written by Jeff Nathanson, was wonderful. The humor is solid, though I don't really know if it is actually a "full-fledge comedy"...you probably won't be laughing all the way through. Steven Speilberg has yet to disappoint me with his work. With each and every film he does, he continues to impress and entertain me. Frank Abagnale Jr.'s life story is indeed extraodinary; what amazes me most is HOW he became the most successful con artist BEFORE he turned twenty-one years old. All of that is revealed in the film, which you must go and see by the way. All I can say is that I will definitely by the DVD when it comes out--hopefully, it will have some great bonus features, as Speilberg always remembers to add onto the DVDs of his films. I highly recommend "Catch Me If You Can". Score: 100/100 A+
Rating: Summary: Catch Me If You Can ~ A Must See Movie Review: Catch Me If You Can is by far the best movie! Leonardo DiCaprio acting is superb. Each character he portrayed he was believable. Catch Me If You Can captivated me. It is a Must See Movie and it is based on a true story. I give it Five Stars!
Rating: Summary: A GOOD Steven Speilberg Movie Review: After two dark sci-fi pictures (AI and Minority Report) Speilberg returns to form with this excellent picture based on the memoirs of Frank Abgnale, a man who successfully pretended to be a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor while frauding banks out of millions of dollars. This enjoyable, breezy film shows off the talents of Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken and proves that Leo DiCaprio really can act. It's the fastest 2 hour movie you'll ever see. Give this movie a chance. You'll like it!
Rating: Summary: Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks....What a team!! Review: About a few days ago, I finally managed to see director Steven Spielberg's ("Minority Report") anticipated "Catch Me If You Can". I have to admit that the film was kind of long (that is what you would expect from a Steven Spielberg film), but it really didn't matter just as long as the film was good, and man was it ever! The performances from Leonardo DiCaprio ("Titanic") and 2-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks ("Cast Away") just couldn't be better! The true-life story of "Catch Me If You Can" focuses on Frank Abagnale, Jr. (DiCaprio), a teen growing up outside of New York. His father, Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken in an outstanding performance) is being investigated by the IRS for maybe some back taxes and such. And the lives of Frank Jr., Frank Sr., and Frank's mother/Frank's wife, Paula (Nathalie Baye) take a turn for the worse. When Frank Jr. finds out that his whole life is in a bit of a shambles, he does the unthinkable...he embarks on a journey of impersonation and fraud by becoming a doctor, a lawyer, and an airline pilot. Not to mention that Frank has also cashed some fraudulent checks, in which the banks lost $4 million in the process...and he did it all before his 19th birthday. This case has attracted the attention of an FBI agent named Carl Hanratty (Hanks), who is determined to bring Frank to justice...if he can catch Frank first! The direction of Steven Spielberg was just as outstanding as when he directed "Minority Report" and the "Indiana Jones" films! The scenes in "Catch Me If You Can" were hilarious, especially the scenes when Leo's character outsmarts Hanks' character throughout the film, such as when Frank hires some "stewardesses" to escort him throughout the airport without being caught by Frank and his FBI boys. In conclusion, "Catch Me If You Can" has great performances from 2 celebrated actors, a great supporting cast (Christopher Walken, Amy Adams, Nathalie Baye, James Brolin, and Jennifer Garner), lots of humor, powerful storytelling, and a great soundtrack! Whenever people see "Catch Me If You Can", I just hope that they can get by with Tom Hanks' JFK-like accent in the movie, I know that I did! "Catch Me If You Can" is a great DVD addition to any Steven Spielberg collection! This is, without a doubt, Leonardo DiCaprio's best film since "Titanic" and Tom Hanks' best film since "Sleepless in Seattle"!
Rating: Summary: Superb Movie! One Of Spielberg's best Review: I just finished watching this movie and it is simply brilliant. The acting is tremendous and the movie's flow is aided by the fantastic score by John Williams.Go see it!
Rating: Summary: Good Movie Review: Before seeing this film, I had read a couple of reviews in the media that said the film runs about 20 minutes too long. After seeing the film, my opinion is that it runs 20 minutes too long at the beginning. Steven Spielberg needs to get off his fixation with his parent's divorce. It seems he is always trying to send them messages how much their divorce hurt him. Okay, we get it already! Please don't hurt any more films this way. I want to say that I thought this was a good movie, but Spielberg should have started the movie when Frank's parents ARE divorcing, not before. And Frank takes off running down the street, running, running away. Then lets get into his con act. I went to see this movie with a friend, and they felt the same way I did about the beginning of the movie. I also have to agree with another reviewer that I felt somewhat duped by the previews and promotions for this film. This movie has a heaviness to it that I was not expecting. I was expecting a light-hearted "catch me if you can," movie. Spielberg should have made up his mind whether he wanted to make a light-hearted comedy, or a statement about how another divorce affected their poor son. Don't get me wrong. I still think this movie is very good, worth seeing. I'm glad I saw it. But I wouldn't have missed anything if I had arrived at the theatre 20 minutes into the movie.
Rating: Summary: Spielberg at the top of his game: a personal story... Review: This is a very personal film for Spielberg since he began his career in a vacant office (that he saw while on a tour) at Universal studios where he set up a (phony) office and pretended his way to fame and fortune. The divorce theme from most of his movies figures promenently here too, as he grew up a child of divorce. This is a very funny DRAMA, not a true comedy.
Rating: Summary: ALARMED [not too] CHARMED............ Review: an INNOCUOUS unbilled tribute to the caper movies of Blake Edwards and Henry Mancini quite, quite effective - inclding the kooky title sequence, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN shines as the scheming father very obviously sowing the seeds in junior for future mayhem - very nomination worthy - especially the tragi-comic chauffeur sequence with Di Caprio - later repeated by Di Caprio on Hanks. Leonardo Di Caprio provides the essential charm of this boy - a performance superior to the other current venture. He is by far more comfortable in the expert Spielberg hands. Mr. Hanks? Another superior tribute to Jimmy Stewart - great fun ..... Costume design? Unobtrusive and so so so correct - very 'spot on'! As is the entire feel of the movie - just the overall 'message' to youth [have current offspring - same scenario .... also Industry related parent ...] and THAT is the problem, Mr. Di Caprio has mentioned the 'absolute charm' of the real life character - and fortunately he had a mentor 'awaiting in the wings' to pick up the pieces, and he has very successfully turned his caperous youth into a lucrative position - but remember Ted Bundy was also charming ...... Hollywood's influence yet again....
Rating: Summary: Catch It If You Can Review: You will walk into this movie having heard nothing but great reviews for it and great word of mouth. You will definitley leave the theater after this 2 hour + film very satisfied, with a smile on your face to boot. That is how incredibly enjoyable and fun this movie is. Right from the cool opening credits down to the last minute, it is nothing but a fun, entertaining ride for the viewing audience. Everybody knows that this is a true story based on the life experience of a real man, Frank William Abagnale, Jr. I haven't read the book, so I can't quite comment on how truthful it is, or what it leaves out. What a life. He was a 16 year old kid who was dealt with a upsetting blow in his family life, and it sent him on the run. If you haven't read the book, I won't say what causes this. Frank now finds himself on his own, with nowhere to go, and no one to do it with. Thus begins the cons. Frank becomes one of the best con men ever. He went on to impersonate an airline pilot(as Frank Taylor), and then a doctor(under the name Frank Connors), and then onto being a lawyer. He even took the bar exam and passed. In a few funny scenes, Frank is seeing watching tapes of "Perry Mason", "Dr. Kildare", and "Dr. No", all after taking on these new identities, to get a hang of just what exactly he is doing. All of this before he turned 19 years old. Hot on his trail is FBI agent Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks. The chase scenes between the two are extremely fun. How he slips away, which sets the cat and mouse game back in action, is great. Once caught, Frank is asked to work with the FBI helping out check fraud, under the supervision of Hanratty of course. This is unlike any Spielberg film I've seen. Different. All Frank wanted was a family. He loved his mother, but it seemed he had a closer, more loving bond with his father, Frank William Abagnale, Sr., who is played by the always fantastic Christopher Walken. The scenes they have together are all wonderful. Some of the best moments in the film. Frank wanted his parents. That's all. Once you get get past the fact of all the incredible things he has done, impersonated, and gotten away with, you start to remember that he is just a 16 year old kid, scared to death, and wanting a home, with a mother and father, to go too. This is what also makes his relationship with Hanratty so interesting too. He is chasing him. He's around. When he is caught and in Carl's care, it is apparent that Carl has been somewhat of a father figure to him. These two relationships with Frank and his father and Frank with Carl are very interesting to watch. The identities and all that are great fun, but it's these storylines that are fascinating to watch. The actors here are all great. Leonardo DiCaprio has proved that he is a great actor, and he is far more than just the king of world idol from "Titanic". For all the fronts he puts up, you see down deep that he is a scared young kid. He did a wonderful job. Tom Hanks shines too. But then again, when doesn't he?. Hanratty is a real man of course, and Tom makes it seem so on the screen. A harried man just trying to do his job. Walken is great as I've already said earlier. Martin Sheen also appears in a small role, as does James Brolin, and an uncredited Jennifer Garner from "Alias". John William's score is zippy and whimsical and it takes you right into the time. A nice piece of work. The film also looks amazing. They got great colors and the look and feel of the 60's down pat. It is a fantastic looking film. While it may appear to be light and shallow(Amazon's wrong)at first, you got to look beyond that and see what's really going on. This is something Spielberg has always been a master at. This is, pure and simple, one of the most entertaining and enjoyable films of the year. Thanks to all involved for giving it to us.
Rating: Summary: Catch This One Review: As always, Spielberg is a master story teller, and he's picked a fascinating story to tell. Great acting by all. Satisfying resolution leaves viewers happy.
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