An intelligent, fast-paced, and thoroughly engaging odyssey

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2005)

Forget morality. Most people want to see somebody beat the system -- no matter how he does it -- a winner! That why the movie-going world loves a con artist, especially if he's a young Adonis with a soft heart and a winning smile who exudes charm and cool sophistication. This sympathetically told true story shows how one teenager, skillfully played by Leonardo DiCaprio, did it with daring bravado.
The unlikely villain in this story is a kid who's traumatized by catching his mother cavorting with another man, which is soon followed by divorce. Unable to choose which parent should be his guardian, he runs away and applies both natural gifts and lessons learned from the playful deviousness of his skeptical father (who's just experienced financial ruin) to become America's most notable impostor, wangling serial employment as a cop, pilot, doctor, and lawyer. The skill acquired from learning how to forge a fake identity and bogus credentials give him the ability to forge checks -- filling suitcases with millions of dollars and a James Bond sort of life to go with it.
This film has many interesting contrasts. Pitting the plodding, joyless purposefulness of a rigidly moral FBI agent (Tom Hank's character) against the capricious cunning of a light hearted con gives a nice edge to this story. And the superb roles played by the best of the best character actors, Sheen Sr. and Christopher Walken (the father), add meaning and levity.
Steven Spielberg and his star-studded cast lived up to their billing with this one.