Catch Me Not

Rating: 4/10 (31 December 2002)

You'll pardon me for not concurring that this is Spielberg's best film in years (and Lord knows that he keeps sucking my wife and I into those $8.50 box-office tickets anyway).
"Minority Report" has been called the antithesis of this so-called 'breezy' film (because the parents in CMIYC "care" -- or at least one of them does) but that's giving Spielberg way too much credit.
A word of advice: don't watch "The Grifters" (which I did the night before viewing this mess), possibly the best con film this side of "The Sting."

Hell, don't even see the underrated "Harry in Your Pocket" or even "The Flim-Flam Man" before checking out this ultimate con of your $$$.
Funnily enough, the biggest con here is Steve grabbing the money he lost when you didn't see "A.I." or "Minority Report."
And what a mess it is: Tom Hanks manages the worst Massachusetts accent since the lamentable Costner's in "Thirteen Days" (and I'm one of the film snobs who actually LIKES Hanks -- his turn in this year's "Road to Perdition" is worthy of a nomination: not a win, mind you, but a nod).
Hanks' accent wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't in approximately every other scene.
The Saul Bass-inspired opening creds (think "Pink Panther" flix) and cool initial John Williams score suggests a fun retro film, but this just isn't. It's "Ocean's Eleven" sans the cool.
Dispensible characters come and go with no follow-up whatsoever (Jennifer Garner in a truly "what's she doing here?" cameo, Marty Sheen and his daughter-character -- who are actually important to the story, but disappear when their usefulness subsides: basically 10 minutes after their arrival).
Though "based on actual events," several interludes smell like Spielberg inventions, not the least of which are Leo's 'just missing' being caught episodes, which play out here like old Marx Bros. sketches -- without Groucho and Harpo and Ms. Dumont.
By the way, Leo's pretty good here (how can this 28-year-old still look 16?).
But while watching the film I couldn't help but wonder what the book was like -- and comparing Frank Abagnale, Jr.'s exploits as portrayed here to those of the fellow from Michigan who was arrested a few years back. The latter not only impersonated doctors, airline pilots and more but actually performed operations, flew planes, etc. From memory, the guy was the greatest impostor in history.
Oh wait, there *was* that old Tony Curtis film, "The Great Impostor" -- maybe I'll have to check that out again as well.
Christopher Walken's most endearing role ever (?) in a nice turn as Leo's dad can't overcome the average DP work, Hanks' worst performance in a few years, a really shoddy script and, well, STEVE.
Catch it not.
But *do* rent "The Grifters."
Or "Ocean's Eleven"... even the original. No wait -- stick with the *other* Steven's version ;)
4/10 Out