When real life becomes fantasy...

Rating: 9/10 (31 December 2004)

Director Steven Spielberg returns to what he does best with this take on the true story of Frank Abegnale Jr, (Leonardo DiCaprio) who was convicted for dozens of cases of check fraud and assuming false identities before the age of 25. And a true story it may be, but all of Abegnale's daring deeds and frantic escapes are oversimplified in this telling - everything he does seems too easy and natural for him. Showing the difficulty the real Abegnale would have had to endure would add some realism and make the tale less of a fantasy escape, which is what it ultimately ends up as.
But for a fantasy escape, there is some real drama infused into the story, especially with the strange yet fascinating relationship between Abegnale Jr. and Sr, and Frank Jr. realizing that he can't just settle down to marry his girlfriend Brenda (Amy Adams) who knows him under a different identity, since he is being constantly hunted by the authorities. And near the end, Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) gradually warms to his query Abegnale, despite all the trials and frustrations he has been put through - an unexpected and much appreciated reversal of character.
DiCaprio does a good portrayal of Abegnale Jr. as he starts out confident and full of energy, while slowly descending into virtual paranoia, always looking over his shoulder and devising new ways to once again prevent capture. Tom Hanks also gives a strong performance as Carl Hanratty, the driven officer determined to catch Abegnale Jr. and bring him to justice. Yet they are both in danger of being overshadowed by notorious scene stealer Christopher Walken, in an Academy Award nominated performance, playing Abegnale Sr. the idol of his criminal son. Walken is truly affecting as he slowly comes to terms that he isn't as invincible as he thought, as his wife leaves him and everything he possesses is steadily taken by the government as he continually neglects to pay taxes. But his frequent self-confidence boosting sayings ("Two mice fell into a bucket of cream. One gave up and quickly drowned, but the second kept struggling and churned the cream into butter. Right now, I am that second mouse") give his son (and perhaps himself as well) the impression that he's on top of his situation.
It's an excellent package, with John Williams' excellent 50's style score beautifully complementing Spielberg's work. It may be lighter and less realistic than it could have been, but Catch me if you Can is without a doubt, a lot of fun to watch, which is all it really needed to be.
-9/10