Catch it if you can. Review on Catch Me If You Can Movie

According to Dr. Philip McGraw, the writer of the acclaimed book “Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out”, a person is a product of some defining moments, some critical choices that he/she has made and some pivotal people in his/her world. I can’t agree more. No I am not here to review his book and I am also not making the claim that I conform to all that he has written. But I can’t agree more with this particular gist of his. Examples are myriad of messed up childhoods leading to fragile and disoriented future existences like Michael Jackson just to name one. Well, “Catch me if you can” probably is the story of such a person. This person is Frank Abagnale Jr. who became one of world’s successful con artist between the ages of 16 and 21.

I should confess I missed the first 5 minutes of the movie and I repent it; may be I will catch up by seeing it once again some other time. So Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DeCaprio) in his journey of being a con artist was successful in posing as a journalist, an airplane pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. Not only did he change forms, but he was also successful in cashing checks close to couple of million dollars! Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is the FBI agent who is on a hot pursuit behind Frank. The story is set in 1960s and the whole movie is about their cat-and-mouse game, with Carl always a few steps behind Frank.

Frank Abagnale Jr.'s transformation into a con artist is a result of the pain that he undergoes witnessing his dear father Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken) whom he respects very much and his self-involved mother Paula (Nathalie Baye) getting divorced, although Frank does show some early signs of brilliance in conning when he is in school managing to pose as a French teacher for a week! He also starts resenting his mother when he discovers that she is having an affair when married to his father with a more successful man (James Brolin), whom she later on marries. So all these incidents and other circumstances contribute to his transition to a con man. He does fall in love with a vulnerable nurse that he meets in Atlanta Hospital while he is posing as doctor and decides to settle down, but he has to escape when Carl catches up with him. The chase, the bond that Carl and Frank develop over the course of this chase, the relationship between Frank and his father and Frank’s strife to get back everything that he has lost and bring things back to what they were when his parents were married, are the pivotal threads of the movie.

Leonardo DeCaprio as Frank manages to gain the sympathy of the audience towards the character through his gentle charisma and vulnerability. One does feel sorry for him, despite Frank's illicit behavior. This is one of his finest films that I have seen (he is ok in Gangs…) As the movie progressed I was hoping that the movie doesn’t end with the federal agents gunning him down and I was glad to see that it didn't. I really wondered what Tom Hanks was doing in such a role as Carl Hanratty, but he brings humor, drama and his nuances into an-otherwise-ordinary role so effortlessly. I could not believe that this is a Spielberg movie because it is so different than his usual genre, proving only his range as a director. I am sure that he made this movie for pure entertainment and that it is not a bid to collect Oscars. But he has paid due attention to the details to reconstruct the 60’s period. The supporting cast in Christopher Walken shines as Frank’s father. He is nominated for Oscar for his portrayal. The pace of the movie is good and there is not one bit of a drag moment, although it is a little too long (2 hrs 20 min.). So to sum it up, “Catch me if you can” is a light, satisfying and very entertaining movie. A must watch!

Some memorable quotes:

1. Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Two mice fell into a bowl of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse fought and struggled until he churned that cream into butter and he crawled his way out. I am that second mouse.

2. Roger Strong: Frank, would you mind saying grace? [pause]

Carol Strong: Unless you're not comfortable...

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Two mice fell into a bowl of cream. The second mouse fought until he churned the cream into butter and walked out... Amen.

Brenda Strong: Amen.

Carol Strong: Oh, that was so beautiful. That mouse fought and walked right out of the butter!

3. Frank Abagnale, Sr: Do you know why the Yankees always win?

Frank Abagnale, Jr.: Because they've got Mantle?

Frank Abagnale, Sr: No. It's because the other team's too busy staring at the pin stripes

Some Cast and Credits:

Cast: Leonardo DeCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, Martin Sheen

Director: Steven Spielberg

Producers: Steven Spielberg, Walter F. Parkes

Music: John Williams

© Roshan Thomas