An absolute blast

Rating: 8/10 (6 August 2011)

I love sitting down to watch a movie, not expecting much, and then being pleasantly surprised by what a great movie it was. That is just the case with Stephen Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr., one of the most successful and intelligent con men of all time. When Frank is sixteen his father runs into problems with the IRA and loses his entire fortune, which also prompts his wife to leave him. From then on Frank vows to earn back his father's savings. He does so through a slightly (i.e. extremely) illegal manner. Check fraud. Frank travels the world taking on different personas, faking work as a pilot, doctor, lawyer, etc. But once the money he is illegally earning starts to build up, red flags go up for the FBI and Agent Carl Hanratty, played so well by Tom Hanks, sets out on an obsessive quest to chase down and capture Frank.The film is clever, quick, and an absolute blast.
The nice thing about Catch Me If You Can is that it doesn't take itself too terribly seriously. It is more of a lighthearted film with a serious undertone. This film is actually really funny at times before it grows into a more serious story of character development and winding plot progression. But from start to finish it manages to retain a feeling of witty intelligence that stays smart and intelligible, but also entertaining and fun. The film never gets unbearably boring, even when it slows down for more serious plot points. It is 140 minutes long so certain things are a bit drawn out and I can't say that every scene has a major purpose, but it's always fun and always entertaining.
I have a certain asphyxiation with con and heist films, so Catch Me If You Can is sort of a dream come true for me. It is every single thing about great and clever cons wrapped into one film. Watching Frank Abagnale work is like magic. The situations he talks his way out of and the ways he manages to get around certain things is uncanny. The film is based on a true story so I'm not sure what about his cons is true and what is exaggerated, but it all makes for great entertainment. There's something so inherently fascinating about the way he manipulates people through ingeniously subtle psychology and the way it works seamlessly, most of the time at least.
The film also succeeds by adding a new layer to a typical con film. It makes its incredibly clever and devious protagonist human. A lot of films portray the con man as a flawless machine that works everything out so perfectly and executes every minute detail without a single issue, so much so that they are more of a gimmick than an actual character. The character of Frank Abagnale is truly human, complete with all of his inner turmoil and realistic flaws. Throughout the film he grows more and more troubled as the law gets closer and closer to him. We see a very human transformation that is as touching as it is fascinating. By the end of the film we love this character not because he is a clever genius, but because he is human.
If I had any tiffs with the film they would be that it runs a little long and some of the logic doesn't always add up. But it's nothing to make me dislike this film in any way. It was a blast to watch and a joy to reflect on. Strong performances helm the film while a great atmosphere and wonderfully intelligent character development make its roots run deeply sincere. This film is one of the most human con man stories I have ever seen and for that it deserves a hefty amount of credit. This is a fantastic film.