Very fun, clever, and intellectually satisfying!

Rating: 8/10 (18 October 2003)

I watched this movie on DVD last night--what a pleasant surprise! Well, I can't imagine any movie with Spielberg as director and Tom Hanks/Leo DiCaprio as lead actors to be anything less than good, but not having seen the trailer to the movie nor read reviews of it I wasn't sure what kind of a film to expect. Knowing that this movie is based on real life events of Frank Abagnale Jr. makes it all the more enjoyable to watch, while I cannot stop myself from wondering how on earth he was able to pull it all off--as pilot, doctor, and lawyer. I'm sure he must have run into some difficulties at times with his pretense, yet he must have been able to react quickly and avert near-disasters until the time he's finally caught. I really liked his character as DiCaprio portrayed him, despite the fact that the essence of what he did was wrong. Tom Hanks, as usual, did an excellent job--I ended up liking his character as well even though he started off being rather dislikeable. Christopher Walken also wins high points for his portrayal as the senior Abagnale, bringing a certain dignity and believability to his character that wins our empathy in spite of his shady dealings and troubles with the IRS. In short, I ended up liking just about everything in this movie. It was a very well-presented story and a well-acted drama, with humour sprinkled in just the right amounts and at the right places, in my opinion. The pace is just fast enough to keep me entertained and thinking at all times, without loosing me in any overly convoluted subplots. Kudos to Spielberg for such a fun, clever, and intellectually satisfying piece of film-making!