Decent fluff

Rating: 7/10 (4 January 2003)

This is one the FEW films in which DiCaprio was decently casted. I did not believe him as a street thief in Gangs of New York for a second, but he pulls the con as Frank Abagnale rather well, considering the fact all he had to do for a third of the movie is smile and look pretty. Christopher Walken - God I love him - looked like he was reading cue cards for part of this film, but he played the frailty of Frank's dad damn well. Tom Hanks was probably the better of the three, as the FBI agent chasing Frank but his role seemed almost for comic relief. The scene stealer here I thought, was John Williams' pseudojazz score. The music reminded me of those 60s cop shows, but with a quick tempo to remind us that this is, after all, a chase movie. With bright washed out lights, the cinematography lent a dream like quality to the atmosphere, but in reality served to tell us that this is just Hollywood fluff.