Catch Me If You Can

Review - Steven Spielberg’s new effort is based on the real life accounts of Frank Abergnale Jr.'s 3-year stint as a forger.  Frank's escapades lead him on an international joyride spanning 3 continents, collegic degrees, and a variety of jobs including, a physician, an airline co-pilot, and a lawyer.  All told Frank made over 4million dollars, saw most of the world, and became an international fugitive. All before the age of 20.

Leonardo DiCaprio gives a great and often times, commanding, performance as Frank.  Both likable and believable, it's fairly easy to see how this kid got away with so much.  Tom Hanks plays his FBI counterpart to a T.  Tom is just as good as you'd expect him to be, even with the accent.  And his 'Knock-Knock' joke is really quite funny (somehow it ended up on my answering machine at home).  The only other role of real consequence is Frank Abergnale Sr. played by Christopher Walken.  Walken falls right into step with his counterparts and gives as solid a performance.  Martin Sheen and James Brolin have bit parts to round out the film.

Catch Me If You Can is pretty lightweight.  It's not an overpowering drama but it does get you once or twice.  It's comedy runs smoothly, keeping an air of fun and excitement to the whole film.  The severity of the crimes involved seem far less dramatic because of this even though the potential for real disaster seems to be around every corner.

I wouldn't go so far as to plaster 'Oscar' all over the film but it's good fun and easy to watch.

-m-