Two little mice fell into a bucket of cream.

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2010)

When his parents announce they are going to divorce, Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) runs away from home and embarks on a career as a conman. Originally only armed with some blank cheques, Frank cons his way into being airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer and into a couple of million dollars. But hot on his trail is dogged FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).
Frank Abagnale Jr. a real guy, who did these real things. Sure there's some liberties taken with the adaptation from Abagnale Jr's own book, but regardless it's a fascinating story that transfers very well to the screen. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is perhaps a touch overlong as he slots in an on going father/son relationship that didn't happen, a classic broken home theme close to his heart of course. But this is no popcorn fodder piece. It's a black comedy that's tender at times but also also rather moving, even as the humour starts to kick in, we get plenty of reminders that Frank is running not just from the law, but also his unhappy past. There's no shirking from some of the darker aspects in the tale too. Infidelity, abortion and parental pressure all show their faces, never mind the troubling point of airline security eh!.
Clocking in as it does at over two hours, the plot and its little thematics required the highest calibre of acting talent to keep the audience interested. Here's Spielberg's trump card. A fine ensemble gather and reward the bearded one with some of their best work. Certainly DiCaprio hasn't been this good since Titanic, while Hanks continues to live up to the Jimmy Stewart of his generation tag with another, yet different, everyman performance. As for Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale Senior, well, get the hankies ready for you will have to have been cut from granite to not let Walken pull your emotional strings. Good support comes from Martin Sheen & Amy Adams, while Jennifer Garner pops in for a sultry and sensual little cameo.
A great story is given exceptional treatment by some of Hollywood's biggest hitters. Score! 8/10