What more could you want? SPOILER INCLUDED!

Rating: Null/10 (19 March 2004)

This was a movie I really wasn't excited about seeing at first. I have never been a big fan of Leonardo Dicaprio, and feel that Tom Hanks has kind of been shoved down my throat with his perennial Oscar nominations, but this movie made none of that matter. The two played off each other beautifully in this true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. Dicaprio (as Abagnale), and Hanks (as FBI agent Carl Hanratty) are almost perfect foils for each other as the teenage genius con man, and the stuffy by-the-books agent trying to track him down. Part of the appeal of this movie was that it didn't really revolve around the old Hollywood cliche "money can't buy happiness", but rather delved into the question of how loneliness cannot be cures by money or social standing. Frank has all of the money that he would ever need in his life by the age of 17, but he can't stop pulling off scams, and he can't seem to settle down. This is emphasized very strongly by a scene in which Frank and Carl are talking on the phone on Christmas Eve, and Carl realizes that Frank really doesn't have anyone else to talk to except him. The lighting in this movie is brilliant (no pun intended), and it helps change not only the mood of some scenes, but gives an idea of which character is getting the upper hand on the other at that particular moment. Frank and Carl seem to deserve each other, even from the first scene that they are in together, in which Frank dupes Carl into letting him escape. That scene is one of my favorite initial confrontation scenes since Pacino and Williams in "Insomnia". From then on, Frank spirals downward, as he realizes that not being a pilot, doctor, or lawyer has made him any happier, and that all of his connections with people other than Carl are rather superficial. Ironically, after Frank is captured, and his friendship with Carl blossoms, he regains all of the money and social standing that he earlier had. So sometimes success can't buy friendship, but friendship can lead to success. All in all, this is a movie definitely worth watching.