Before Watching: Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Rating: 7/10 (31 December 2019)

"Catch Me If You Can" (2002) is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. and the chase between him and an FBI agent. If you want to get as much out of it as possible, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before watching:
Catch Me If You Can showcases a lot of interesting intrigues as the plot develops and turns into a cat-and-mouse chase. The pacing is well done as are the relationships between the characters, which rarely feels over the top even when the situations at time are somewhat absurd. The movie never feels unbelievable in that sense, and its optimistic and genuine tone - together with great performances from both DiCaprio, Hanks and Walken - makes for a thrilling and exciting joyride with a rewarding finale.
However, this movie is not without potential downsides. Women are frequently depicted as sex objects and are rarely given any other character depth. Secondly, there are some details, expressions and institutions in the movie that can be confusing at first, especially for non-Americans.
Nevertheless, Catch Me If You Can are fun, cheeky and captivating. It is fairly light at a first glance, but there are deeper themes that makes this movie enjoyable for a wide audience.
My personal grade: an entertaining 7/10. If you found this helpful, check my profile for more reviews.