Enjoyable but not a memorable classic

Rating: 6/10 (26 March 2003)

Catch Me if You Can' is inspired by the real life story of conman Frank Abagnale Junior who ran away from home at the age of sixteen following his parents' divorce. His deceit includes pretending to be an airline pilot, doctor and barrister all while he is still a teenager. As he travels around the globe cashing fraudulent cheques, Frank is pursued by FBI Special Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) hence, the taunt in the film's title.
What makes this film an interesting and fun one is that the main character actually exists in real life and Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is a charismatic one. Although I found some parts of Catch Me if you Can' enjoyable, I did find it a bit slow and the story-telling flawed. Although one can conclude that Frank was a genius to have deceived as many people as he did, the film is lacking in explanation of how Frank managed to succeed in the range of positions he came to work in, eg how did he become a doctor and barrister without going to either medical or law school?
As a fan of Steven Spielberg's work, I was looking forward to this release and compared to his last two films A.I' and Minority Report', this film is much lighter in tone. Although entertaining while it lasts, Catch Me if You Can' is not the memorable classic that I was hoping for.