highly entertaining crime thriller with fine artistic qualities

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2019)

Catch Me If You Can is a highly entertaining crime thriller with fine artistic qualities. Director Steven Spielberg gorgeously delivers a film set in the 60s following the exploits of Frank William Abagnale Jr. as a con man, effortlessly played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
The film tackles themes of family, parenthood and loss. Frank Jr. starts with a happy family that quickly fractures when financial struggles and extra-marital affairs led to his parent's divorce played by Christopher Walken and Nathalie Baye as Frank Sr. and Paula Abagnale, respectively. Their divorce precipitated his descent to financial crimes. Hot on the trail is Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks, an FBI bank fraud agent. Carried by a great cast and brisk editing, Catch Me If You Can never slows and the audience is completely immersed in the journey and thrill of Frank Jr.'s exploits. Every shot looks beautiful with the impressive cinematography from recurring Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski. Composer Michael Khan provides a score that reflects the tone of the film.
Ultimately, Catch Me If You Can fails to reach its true potential because the character growth of Frank Jr. has little weight. Through the course of the film, moments are sprinkled to reveal Frank Jr.'s motivations but this is not fully explored. The script comes short in realizing that Frank Jr.'s broken family is the reason for his actions. The emotional weight of the film gets lost in the chase aspect. However, the film remains a marvel to appreciate considering all its qualities.
8/10