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Review: 'Catch Me' well worth catchingRousing fun from DiCaprio, Hanks, Spielberg
By Paul Clinton
(CNN) -- The long-anticipated "Catch Me If You Can," directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, was well worth the wait. DiCaprio plays Frank W. Abagnale Jr., who in the 1960s traveled the world impersonating, among others, an airline pilot, a doctor and an attorney -- all before reaching the age of 21. With the FBI hot on his trail, he financed his masquerades by cashing millions of dollars in forged checks. It's the classic example of a story being so far-fetched that it would never have been made into a film if it weren't true. After a series of fairly dark films, including "Minority Report" and "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," Spielberg has returned to lighter subject matter, and it's a welcome breath of fresh air to have him back making pure entertainment once again. From the crisp, chirpy graphics of the opening credits to the film's final frames, "Catch Me If You Can" sparkles as a homage to the early 1960s, when a bright-eyed optimism gripped the clean-shaven masses. There was still some innocence in that period between "I Like Ike" and the bloody end of Camelot, when a man's word was his bond, and clothes -- especially a uniform or a pinstriped suit -- made the man. Abagnale took advantage of that innocence over and over again. A man in a uniformThe film begins with the 28-year-old DiCaprio playing Abagnale as a teenager. The actor does an extremely believable job. Young Frank is living an idyllic life in mid-America. His mother, Paula, is a World War II war bride from France (played by French actress Nathalie Baye), and his father, Frank Sr. (beautifully played by Christopher Walken) is his son's hero.
But Frank Sr. is also a man who attempts to find, but never catches, the American dream. Eventually he grabs for the golden ring one too many times and falls; the family is forced to move from their comfortable suburban home into a tiny apartment. Soon Paula leaves for another man and a better life. This crushes Frank Sr. and drives Frank Jr. to run away from home and into his infamous crime spree -- and a cat-and-mouse game that eventually takes him around the world while cashing millions of dollars in bogus checks. He starts out slowly with phony checks for small amounts, but one day he has an epiphany: he sees a Pan American Airlines pilot in full uniform breezing down the street, admired by all who see him. In the '60s, air travel was still new enough that anyone involved in the industry was considered to be glamorous -- and no one was more glamorous than the pilots themselves. In an act that would be impossible in today's world, Frank pretends to be a pilot who has lost his uniform -- and he's promptly provided with a replacement. Now he's added years to his age just by wearing a garment of authority and honesty. He's suddenly able to cash checks for even larger amounts with little or no hassle. He also learns how to "deadhead" (fly for free) on airlines around the world posing as a Pan Am pilot. The sheer chutzpah of this action is mind-boggling, and even though he is clearly breaking the law, you can't help but cheer him on as he gleefully partakes in wine, women and song while traveling the friendly skies. Dynamic relationships
Now things get really interesting. Abagnale's actions have caught the eye of the FBI, and as luck would have it, the case is assigned to a very persistent agent named Carl Hanratty, played by Hanks. The film's main dynamic shifts to these two men, who form an almost father-and-son relationship -- a relationship which is the heart and soul of the film. Soon Frank Jr. begins posing as other professionals in an attempt to get Hanratty off his trail. He successfully pretends to be an attorney and a doctor (among other things) while barely keeping ahead of Hanratty's determined pursuit. The brilliance of the film lies in the way that Spielberg lets us into the mind of young Abagnale. At first it's all a lark, but eventually the audience is drawn into Abagnale's panic as his options run out. You can feel his desperation in periodic phone calls that he makes to Hanratty. It becomes clear that Abagnale's lonely life on the run is taking its toll. DiCaprio is terrific as Abagnale, taking his character on a wide-arcing journey of self-discovery. Hanks brings gravity and humanity to his role as Hanratty, who truly begins to care for the young man he's grimly chasing across the globe. "Catch Me If You Can" is wildly entertaining from start to finish. From its sassy beginning to its dark conclusion, this film delivers an enormous bang for your movie-going buck. "Catch Me If You Can" opens nationwide on Christmas Day and is rated PG-13 with a running time of 140 minutes.
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