Far from interesting, cat-and-mouse story, based on fact, full of blatant, boring observations about broken homes and authoritarianism.

Rating: Null/10 (7 May 2003)

An inconsequential true story of a teenage con man directed by Spielberg, with absolutely no real insight into his motivation or his game, except that he's a product of a broken family. DeCaprio works in the lead, but Hanks puts on a New England accent that's pretty hard to take as the ineffectual FBI agent on his trail. It's all very flat and filled with many stupid incidents, particularly a ridiculous relationship between the law and the criminal, true or not. The sixties atmosphere is standardly evoked via costumes and pop music. Bland stuff.