Catch Me If You Can Movie Review
"Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse
quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so
hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out.
Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse."
-Frank Abagnale Sr.
As you've probably noticed I am a huge DiCaprio fan and am on a quest to see as many of his movie as possible. Honestly I'm not too upset about him not having an Academy Award yet because I know if he continues at the caliber that he is at, he will have his year. But it is truly a shame that he didn't even get a nomination for his performance in Catch Me If You Can. I've noticed that DiCaprio is especially good in depicting intelligent or powerful people who just fly off the rails. (The Aviator, Wolf of Wall Street) His performance gets so real and morbid and it is truly remarkable. Paired with arguably one of the best leading men in Hollywood, Tom Hanks, and a legend of a director, Stephen Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can was just destined for greatness.
This is a true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who before his 19th birthday was able to con millions of dollars worth of checks. He impersonated a pilot, a lawyer and a doctor before the law caught up with him. DiCaprio plays Frank and Tom Hanks plays the officer who partakes in this drawn out game of cat and mouse. This isn't the kind of film that should be summarized but analyzed instead. The story is quite amazing but it is what the actors do with this story that make this film so great. I love when two great actors can work off of each other and improve each other's performances. Christopher Walken has a pretty interesting supporting role as Frank's dad. We meet Frank as a young boy who's parents begin having serious issues. Not able to overcome them they get separated and Frank is left hurt and confused.
With the intention of helping his parents and making them proud, Frank uses his wit and intelligence to get ahead but doesn't exactly stay within the guideline of the law. Throughout this wild journey Frank manages to fool everyone along the way. He first impersonates a pilot when he begins to cash the companies checks. He is exceptionally good at counterfeiting these checks and begins to con a ridiculous amount of money. Still so young he falls to all sorts of temptations but is still very careful. He stays one step ahead of Carl Hanratty and it's pretty exhilarating to follow. This is the kind of movie that you don't know who to root for because you love both characters and actors but one is obviously morally wrong. But it is usually more fun to root for the "bad" guy! He changes appearance and travels the country, at one point impersonating a lawyer and a doctor as well. DiCaprio makes you forget that he is living a lie all this time because he just pulls it off so well.
There's a scene towards the end of the film involving Frank and Carl that is just so suspenseful and excellently done. At this point Frank has been on the run around the world and has just past his breaking point. It's clear that he's lost it and it's a scary sight. The back and forth between these two great actors is very convincing and impressive. This was DiCaprio at his finest and there is no denying that this man has real talent. There is also no denying that Tom Hanks is one of the best of all time and as we've seen from Captain Phillips, one of his most recent films, he's still got it! Catch Me If You Can was a gem of a film and a great example of a quality movie. Not the most fast paced film out there but it will keep your interest. I give this film a 9 out of 10.
With the intention of helping his parents and making them proud, Frank uses his wit and intelligence to get ahead but doesn't exactly stay within the guideline of the law. Throughout this wild journey Frank manages to fool everyone along the way. He first impersonates a pilot when he begins to cash the companies checks. He is exceptionally good at counterfeiting these checks and begins to con a ridiculous amount of money. Still so young he falls to all sorts of temptations but is still very careful. He stays one step ahead of Carl Hanratty and it's pretty exhilarating to follow. This is the kind of movie that you don't know who to root for because you love both characters and actors but one is obviously morally wrong. But it is usually more fun to root for the "bad" guy! He changes appearance and travels the country, at one point impersonating a lawyer and a doctor as well. DiCaprio makes you forget that he is living a lie all this time because he just pulls it off so well.
There's a scene towards the end of the film involving Frank and Carl that is just so suspenseful and excellently done. At this point Frank has been on the run around the world and has just past his breaking point. It's clear that he's lost it and it's a scary sight. The back and forth between these two great actors is very convincing and impressive. This was DiCaprio at his finest and there is no denying that this man has real talent. There is also no denying that Tom Hanks is one of the best of all time and as we've seen from Captain Phillips, one of his most recent films, he's still got it! Catch Me If You Can was a gem of a film and a great example of a quality movie. Not the most fast paced film out there but it will keep your interest. I give this film a 9 out of 10.
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