Cotton Candy

Rating: Null/10 (10 January 2003)

This movie has many things in it that work - most of the performances, a great Saul Bass-like opening title sequence, John Williams' score and terrific art direction. But it really is just fluff - there isn't much substance to it at all. Hey, look at this young con man who ripped off a major corporation (for those of you who don't know - Pan Am eventually went bankrupt. Certainly not because of this hustler, but losing 2 million dollars in fraud certainly didn't help - and 2 million back then was equal to 10-20 million now). And once again, a huge star doesn't have anyone in their camp brave enough to tell them they are doing something badly - Tom Hanks' awful attempt at a Boston accent was a joke! Did he study with Kevin Costner from "13 Days"??? I mean, what was the point? Why have him speak with that accent? Hanratty isn't eventhe name of the real agent who was after the real con man, so why try an accent if you can't pull it off? DiCaprio gives a fine performance (to add to his brilliant work in Gilbert Grape and his sterling work opposite DeNiro in Boy's Life) and Walken is powerful and sad as his destroyed father. But movie just moves along from scam to scam and Hanks looks like a complete fool as he is tricked over and over. Like cotton candy, you don't mind it while you're eating it, heck - you might even enjoy it, but later you realize there's not much to it and your tooth aches. (5 out of 10)