One not to miss - that means you too, Oscar.

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2003)

First of all I should probably declare my bias - I am definitely NOT a Speilberg fan. So when I heard the hoopla on this film - as yet another gem from the Speilberg stable I was sceptical. However, I did find two reasons to overcome my aversion to Steve and go anyway - the fact that it is based on a real-life person (hey, it might be educational) and secondly, that it signals the end of a two-year hiatus for DiCaprio. Okay, okay - I'm sure there are quite a few of you out there who base his entire career on Titanic - but for those of us who have seen a number of his smaller, 'indie' projects you'll know what I mean.
And, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Gone are the long build-ups that Speilberg favours. Out, too, goes all of the schmaltz he has tended to dollop onto his movies of late. And, probably best of all, he gives us a movie in which Tom Hanks doesn't cry (oh come on, name another one!). Instead we get a tightly-scripted foray into the world of grand larceny through the eyes of a 17-year old boy.
DiCaprio and Walken are both brilliant in their respective roles. Walken is both endearing and infuriating as the idealistic dreamer of a father who can't (or won't) understand why the IRS keep pursuing him for his taxes. DiCaprio, on the other hand, pulls off a double-whammy by being both enigmatic enough to be able to pull off the con-jobs while at the same time, never allowing you to forget that he is only a boy. DiCaprio's treatment of 'Frank' is neither condescending or trite - something many actors today could learn when playing teenagers.
However, that is not to say the movie is without its flaws. The first is Hanks. Often held up to be one of the greatest actors today, here he flounders against not only DiCaprio and Walken but against much of the supporting cast as well. He just doesn't seem to be able to find a rhythm for his character and instead seems to be trying a different tack in each scene.
The other flaw is that obsessive need of many American directors to bring psychological theory into their movies to increase the dramatic gravitas. We do not need to be told the reasons why 'Frank' embarked on his crime spree for two reasons: 1, DiCaprio has already done it for him through his sensitive, three-dimensional portrayal of 'Frank'; and 2, because the charm of this kind of movie ultimately resides in the fact that each of us find a certain appeal in 'Frank's' actions - both the audacity and the flair he shows in being able to pull off these heists. In saying all of that, this movie is one not to miss - and that means you too, Oscar. DiCaprio was robbed for What's Eating Gilbert Grape - don't let it happen again.