Clever and charming!

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2013)

If you're looking for a movie that's lighthearted at times, sad during others, and charming overall, this definitely meets those requirements. I was laughing throughout most of it, but there were certainly some very poignant scenes in which the strong emotions felt by Frank, Jr. (played brilliantly by Leonardo DiCaprio) were illustrated perfectly.
I thought one of the things that Steven Spielberg does a good job of with this film is providing the audience with a psychological understanding of why Frank does what he does. Spielberg gives us Frank's past and background through the use of flashbacks throughout the movie, and this really helps the audience sympathize with the young con artist to the point where you're almost rooting for him albeit his illegal criminal activity. Another thing Spielberg also does well is the emphasis he puts on how much effort and time the clever Carl Hanratty (played by the incredible Tom Hanks) puts into capturing Frank, and by showing how similar they really are despite the cat and mouse game they play.
Overall, the film is great. The acting is superb, but with an A-list cast such as DiCaprio (whose baby face fits the role of young Frank, Jr. perfectly by the way), Hanks (who gave excitement and life to a potentially bland character), and Christopher Walken (Frank, Sr.) with a quick appearance by the always wonderful Jennifer Garner, this is to be expected. The charm that DiCaprio brings to his character is fun to watch as well. I gave it 9/10 because I do think it runs a bit long, and the flashbacks sort of take away a bit of the suspense, but the film is exciting and certainly makes up for it in other areas.