Hanks vs Dicaprio: The Mad Men Years...

Rating: 8/10 (9 November 2011)

Spielberg did it again with this one. After the entertaining but overrated Minority Report, he brought us one of his most effortlessly fun films in a long time. I caught myself grinning from ear to ear many times throughout the movie. DiCaprio turns in his finest performance since What's Eating Gilbert Grape & The Basketball Diaries. Even though the story is based on a true story/autobiography of Frank Abagnale Jr., it all seems like some crazy Hollywood plot that's just too irresistible not to love. As for the rest of the cast, Tom Hanks is (as always) thoroughly reliable as the G-man set on catching Abagnale. Christopher Walken steals every scene he exists in as dad Frank Abagnale Sr., Frank Jr.'s impetus and inspiration for his outlandish check fraud spree. Like father, like son indeed. Martin Sheen and Jennifer Garner make delightful appearances in key scenes and John Williams' score is top notch, perfectly catching the snappy-cool kitsch of the 60's in every note. It's all a refreshing mix of everything we've come to fall in love with the movies. Some may be taken aback by the lackadaisical pacing, expecting some action set piece to pop up - and thank Odin there weren't any to be found