Catch Me If You Can Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)December 30th, 2002
Catch "Catch Me if You Can" if You Can
by Homer Yen
(c) 2002
Here's a film about a teenager who lived a life so absurd that no screenwriter could ever make it up. As a distraught runaway, this enterprising youngster forged checks with artistic brilliance while he lied his way into high-profile jobs such as an airline pilot, a doctor, and an assistant prosecutor. And he did all of this before he turned 19. "Catch Me if You Can" is a well-made dramatization of real-life Frank Abagnale Jr. (here played by assured Leonardo DiCaprio) who did it all of this and almost got away with it.
Why he resorted to this life of deceit is not made totally clear. As the film opens, we see that all is well within the Abagnale household. However, things slowly change for the worse. It seems that his father (Christopher Walken) is under investigation by the IRS and has most of his assets taken. Thus the Abagnale's move into much humbler surroundings while the mother edges towards a decision to divorce. Frank is given the brutally adult decision of which parent he would like to stay with. Perhaps he feels a need for revenge. Perhaps he yearns to regain the status that the family recently had. Whatever the reason, his sense of desperation and his natural criminal ability turns him into a slick huckster.
Yes, he may be a criminal, especially in the eyes of the FBI, who dispatches agent Hanratty (Tom Hanks) to track him down. But the Abagnale character possesses such breeziness and audacity that you root for him to get away every time. Take, for example, the first instance in which we see Frank's budding abilities. He walks into his high school French class to discover that a substitute teacher is expected. Thinking quickly, he writes his name on the blackboard, tells the students to open their books, and uses this opportunity to exact some revenge on a school bully. It's likely that many of us would have wanted to try that. After all, no student would question our authority. But you need the chutzpah, confidence, and comfort to pull it off.
On the outside, "Catch Me if You Can" is certainly a satisfying chase film all the way through. Hanratty gradually closes in. Yet, Frank manages one improbable-but-clever escape after another. He learned at an early age that the Yankees always won because of the pinstripes. Everyone seems to notice the pinstripes. And this wisdom comes in very handy on more than a few occasions.
On the inside, there is a heart that beats as well. In particular, we notice that young Frank is a lonely person despite his ability to pass millions of dollars in fraudulent checks, dazzle women with his style and wealth, and impress respected professionals with his verbiage. But, he eventually learns that earning is much more gratifying than taking. He also learns that the things that matter the most are not fame and riches but rather your family and your one true love.
While this Steven Spielberg offering may not resonate in the way that his other films have, Abagnale's tale is the kind that begs to be profiled on the E! Channel's True Hollywood Stories. The premise of "Catch Me if You Can" is unique while the result is oddly affecting and heartwarming.
Grade: B
S: 1 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3
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