Great comedy, stirring drama - well done Spielberg, Di Caprio and Hanks!

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2008)

Leonardo Di Caprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken star in this clever comedy by Steven Spielberg, based on the somewhat-true story of Frank Abagnale, a young American con-man.
I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this film! I have never heard it praised in conversation, although I haven't heard it condemned either. It seems merely to have been released and then quickly faded into the dominant space of popular consciousness - sheer indifference. My low expectations were blown out of the water, however, as I found this film very engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking.
Di Caprio, as he so often does, provides a great visual hook in this film. Don't watch it expecting eye-candy; he plays a very lost 17 year old boy for the most part, and even if he is very successful with the ladies on screen, the camera views him as the boy he is, and therefore so does the audience. His performance is wonderful, and certainly pulled at my heartstrings. The character is brazen, reckless, selfish, irresponsible and deceitful, and yet never fails to win our sympathy. Likewise Tom Hanks is extraordinarily likable as a cop with no sense of humour, charisma, or incredible intelligence. Full credit to the actors for their ability to play deeply flawed characters with perfect empathy.
Catch Me If You Can is also thoroughly enjoyable for its charming visual style. The film is set in the 60s, and the immersion is complete. One of the bonuses of watching a tried-and-true director like Spielberg is that no expense is spared, and the bright and colourful sets and costumes are a great compliment to Frank's bold attitude, as well as being useful in their absence when muted down for more intimate scenes.
This film is charming in its humour and moving in its empathy, and really highlighted the subjectivity of our sense of justice. I think this is a great testament to the wonderful diversity of Spielberg.