The year 2002 has been a good one for me and movie watching. But it hasn’t been a good one for going to the theater. I’ve only seen two 2002 releases in theaters all these twelve months. In March I saw We Were Soldiers, which is a picture of many virtues: It has some of the most intense and graphic yet also well choreographed battle scenes I’ve seen. Ones of which are superior to the muddled chaos of Black Hawk Down. And it is well acted. But I find it more flawed by sentimentality than others seemed to, though I would rate it no lower than three stars. Anyway, around July I saw The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course with my mother and sister, both of whom are great fans of Steve Irwin. The movie was better than I expected, with some good laughs and plenty of action/adventure. But it is, in many ways, a half-hour television show ballooned to nearly two hours. A hit and miss project, though with a lot of hits. I also caught Showtime when it landed on DVD. I didn’t think it was terrible, contrary to the popular opinion of the one million or so other critics around the country. It at least didn’t try to mine all it’s laughs from the lowest, dirtiest common denominator. But I’m one who’s easily entertained. And am still, in many ways, just another stupid teenager.

So was Frank Abagnale Jr.

Abagnale became a fugitive during the 1960’s in the business of check forgery. From 1964 until his capture in 1967, he committed $4 million in fraud and was sentenced to something like fifty years in prison. But the sentence was shortened when he agreed to work for the Bureau. He still works for them today in analyzing cases of check fraud and is considered an authority on the subject. Along with Stan Redding, he wrote a book called “Catch Me if You Can”, which details his exploits.

The stars and directors of the eventual film adaptation have been involved in other bigger and more “important” projects this year. Acclaimed director Steven Spielberg (Minority Report) puts Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York) and Tom Hanks (Road to Perdition) through the paces. The result is a slick and fun film, though may have some small imperfections.

So many reviewers have already gone into deep discussions about the film. So I’ll attempt to make a collage of what has been said. Catch Me begins in 1969, at a prison in Marseilles, France. American FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Hanks) is picking up one of the prisoners for deportation back to the states. That prisoner is Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio), who was supposed to return back to the states but remained on French soil. The film than goes through a series of flashbacks as Hanratty and Abagnale return to the states.

Abagnale started his life of identity change and fraud when he was 16. At this time, he played the part of a substitute teacher at his school. Frank decides to run away and uses money from a checking account his father gave him to survive. The major reason he runs away is because of troubles at home: His parents, Frank Abagnale Sr. (Christopher Walken) and Paula Abagnale (Nathalie Baye), both of whom met in France during WWII, are very loving and caring for their son. But Frank Sr. is self-destructive, being late on his income taxes and such. But he hangs in there, with his philosphy on life being summed up by a story about two mice who fell into some cream. However, the family is forced to movie into an apartment and Frank’s business is closed down. Worse is when it’s discovered that Paula is cheating on him with his best friend Jack (James Brolin), who’s also president of the Rotary Club whom Frank Sr. is also a member of. This shows a theme rather common in Spielberg films of fathers either being bad, neglecting or just not there.

Anyway, Frank Jr. runs away and, along the road, decides to briefly impersonate a Pan-Am pilot after seeing the respect they get. He soon begins forging Pan-Am checks, which he uses throughout the film. But his identity changes constantly: Soon he has a doctor and a lawyer added to his credentials. His real identity, though, remains that of a loyal son. He always writes to his father and mother and several times tries to buy his father gifts like a convertible or offer to pay his bills, all of which are turned down (A possible Cain and Able theme? Or at least the part with Cain trying to buy his father’s love? Interested parties should check out the powerful drama East of Eden. I know, I know: How could I do a promotional plug right in the middle of the review, especially one that has nothing to do with what I’m plugging? Well I just plugged it, so deal with it).

Now some may find it ridiculous as to how Frank is able to change into so many identities without anyone ever getting suspicious or researching further into his background (He also doesn’t really look the age). But remember that these things really happened. Granted, the film is only based on these true stories, which means that certain liberties were taken. But the foundation of the story is fact. And tell me this: If you had a severe leg wound and were in pain, would the first question you ask the doctor be “Can I see your diploma?” Or would you ask your airline pilot if you can see their degree before boarding the aircraft? Frank is also always playing characters of higher authority, which means that he should be asking the questions (He does ask a question: Based on what he learned from T.V dramas, he once asks the other doctors if they concur). Or does screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (Adapting the book by Abagnale and Stan Redding) only expect the audience to escape from reality, as with the James Bond movies? I choose the second option.

About a week or so ago, I rented the DVD of the brilliant crime drama L.A Confidential (I would have reviewed it if I had known what angle to use). One of the extras included in the set was a “Photo Pitch” from director Curtis Hanson. The director showed a series of photos that represented, to him, what he was looking for in the look of Los Angeles and things like inspirations for the characters and so forth. What was most interesting to me was how Hanson said he was aiming for the “feel” of the picture, such as the set design, costuming, furniture, etc. to be things that were state of the art in the fifties and would still look contemporary today. The basic point of doing this is to convince the audience they were seeing a realistic reproduction of the fifties, but to pay less attention to those details and more to the stories of the people and the events taking place. And it worked.

Spielberg does the same thing in this film. According to my father, the movie does look and feel like the sixties, but doesn’t make the audience know that it’s from the sixties. And we know that and the seventies are easy to satirize. Yet there aren’t gags concerning than new appliances like dishwashers or color televisions or washing machines. And there is very little if any architecture that looks as though it belongs in a pornography movie. There are some references to sixties pop culture like James Bond (In one particularly humorous scene, Frank picks out a suit that Sean Connery wore in Goldfinger and purchases an Aston Martin, which he drives downtown). There is also one small nod to the war in Southeast Asia. Otherwise, with a few minor adjustments, this film could easily belong in any period of the later twentieth century. Now I will agree with some who think that Spielberg (Or, more appropriately, the cinematographer, the art/set designers and the costume makers) only highlight the good things about the sixties, since there are hardly any references to counterculture, political turmoil and, as pointed up above, Vietnam. Indeed these were important items of the decade, but they aren’t the focus of the story. LA Confidential made hardly any references to communism or McCarthyism, yet brought about a feeling of the fifties or perhaps the late forties. I just wanted to get that off my head. But I should also note that John William’s score is excellent and, from the opening credits, reminded me of the “Pink Panther” films (More on that below).

Hanks’ is one of those actors who can disappear into his part. I’ve only seen parts of Big and Philadelphia, but have been impressed by his work in those pictures, both of which are of different moods. I also think that Forrest Gump, while a dimwitted, sometimes annoying or repetitive film, benefited from Hanks. He was also excellent in Saving Private Ryan. I have not seen the recent Road to Perdition, though I have read reviews positive, negative or somewhere in between. But most praise Hanks’ atypical turn as a ruthless gangster, with some going as far as saying that he fits into the same mold as Cagney or Bogart. The character of Carl Hanratty reminded me of Peter Sellers’ dim Inspector Clouseau in the “Pink Panther” series. But while Clouseau made the mere act of urination a chore, Hanratty has his head screwed on straight. He just gets these occasional lapses of thought. For example, he has a chance in the film to arrest Frank. But, because he doesn’t know what he looks like, he’s easily fooled by a ruse from Frank that he’s in the Secret Service. Only after Frank gets away does Carl realize the truth.

I was convinced that Leonardo DiCaprio had ruined his reputation following the blockbuster Titanic. His films afterward were apparently unimpressive (Or so I read) and he hasn’t done work in awhile. So I was rather unsure of how this picture would turn. But unlike those people who claim to hate the films of Stanley Kubrick, yet have seen only a couple of them, I wasn’t afraid of seeing Catch Me if You Can because DiCaprio was in it. I was just more cautious. Besides, apart from that infernal boat movie, the only other film of his I’ve seen is The Quick and the Dead, which didn’t really effect me (Maybe my brain cells). Thus, like those detractors of Kubrick, I have no real right to pan DiCaprio as a whole. And Gangs of New York, a film I was also uncertain of, is one of the biggest hits of the year both financially and critically, which now convinces me that I should see it. DiCaprio does a very good job here: He convincingly plays someone younger than his actual age who has to grow up earlier and go out on his own (Though DiCaprio may’ve also benefited from makeup, hair coloring, lighting, etc. to look younger or older). This proves that DiCaprio isn’t yet sunk. Rather he was just going through a slump, like Marlon Brando in the sixties. Perhaps this also shows that, in the right director’s hands, DiCaprio can work wonders (I should also note that I wasn’t the only one with doubts on him: Frank Abagnale himself thought that Leonardo wouldn’t be "suave" enough to play him. But like myself, he was silenced with the results).

The ensemble cast is also great. I’m not familiar with much of the work of Walken, apart from his brief cameo on The Simpsons (Thanks to Dan Fienberg for reminding me of that). He is outstanding here, as a father whose problems eventually ruin himself. I described that above, of course, but would like to add that I should probably now rent The Deer Hunter. Martin Sheen also makes an appearance as Roger Strong, the father of a nurse whom Frank picks up on (Who’s played by the annoying but lovely Amy Adams). Roger is also a head of a law firm, which leads to Frank’s stint as a lawyer. Sheen does a fine job as always, though I’m sure there are some who would’ve wanted more of him. While I agree that more Sheen wouldn’t have hurt, my only complaint is that he didn’t get to do any eerie narration like in Apocalypse Now. It might have also been nice if his study was called “The executive office” or his wife was “My top advisor”, but that’s another story. There is also a small but unforgettable cameo by Jennifer Garner as a rather high priced but also worth every penny call girl. If you don’t already know the part, I won’t say anything. But I will state that I wanted to strangle Abagnale for getting that lucky so soon (He’s still a minor at this time). It also left me wondering as to how many exciting, far-out things have I done in my fifteen years.

[To answer the above question, I have turned some books in overdue at the library. And I’ve done some homework assignments half-as*ed or with no a*s at all. Oh, and I flew in an airplane as part of an event sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association. And I went to a television taping of WWE RAW. It was a rather forgettable event. Except for the ending, which is now among the top “RAW Moments”].

But the cast and director all have one thing in common: They seem to be having fun. And why not? Catch Me if You Can is not concerned with making any deep statements. It doesn’t want to leave the audience provoked in thought or feel anything significant. Rather, it wants to entertain for two and a half-hours (Or around about). The length is a little long, I admit. And the lightweight, breezy approach may annoy some. It may also mean that this will be regarded as a lesser Spielberg work by future generations, who will most likely ogle Private Ryan or Schindler (And with good reason, since both are good movies). Finally, it makes the film immune to the Academy Awards, who traditionally like serious fare (And when they do choose a comedy, they often foul up big time). This one will probably not win any big awards, though it should, but it will tremendously entertain. So get your ticket(s), buy some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the show. You owe it to yourself.

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Now as to why I selected this for the “Spawn of Scrooge” w/o. The holiday of Christmas has some importance throughout the picture (So much so that it opened on Christmas day!). For example, it seems that every time Frank calls Carl, it happens to be Christmas day or Christmas Eve. Frank mostly calls to taunt him, though one of the calls is a futile attempt to give up his life of crime. The final showdown in the check-making factory occurs on Christmas Eve. And it is the day after Christmas that Frank is transferred from the Marseilles prison, which leads to that hair-raising escape at the airport and the climax at the home. The commercialization of Christmas doesn’t get knocked off here. And Kris Kringle has had worse beatings than this. But this is a creative entry because it makes the day superstitious; that you may either get a friendly call or a taunt from a person who’s been outsmarting you and the rest of the federal government for years. He’s also a genius at check forging and can change identities literally at the snap of a thumb. And you can’t do a thing about it, unless you catch him.

Okay, so maybe this is a lame excuse. Or at least not up to the level of what is now being expected of me by the Epinions community (Even the best of us fall down). I also owe Mike a thousand apologies for the lateness of this entry, which was due last Thursday. But better late than never, eh? And there’s always next time. How about a write-off tearing into Easter Sunday? Maybe one that rips the heart from Valentine’s Day? (One that would be especially personal to me, seeing as to how I’ve never had a valentine or gotten any nice cards. (Cries for several minutes. Then a snuff) Nobody likes me) Does Labor Day float your boat? Columbus Day, perhaps? Or, if you really want to be ambitious, we could organize a write-off within hours that tears apart the hype surrounding New Year’s. The possibilities are endless.

Anyway, the other gifted (And mostly punctual and on-topic) reviewers in this write-off include:

artbyjude-Home Alone
BeastieGirl- A Christmas Story
beckytcy- Ho Ho Ho - RuPaul
BigJack
darkofnight (Black Christmas
dedemw- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
d_fienberg- Black Christmas
ingysdayoff- All That Heaven Allows
JackSommersby
Kidnykid- White Trash Christmas - Bob Rivers
lemon_lime
lisaffire- The Nightmare Before Christmas
mfunk75 (host)- The Ref
millinocket- Die Hard, Jingle all the Way -- Crash Test Dummies
panguitch- "The Christmas Gambit"
pmills1210- Married With Children - It's a Bundyful Life
Simply_Crispy
skbreese- Gremlins
st_patrick- A Christmas Story
Vormancian
weirdo_87 (That’s me!)
Wokelstein- Gremlins

And so ends my Epinions for 2002. A fun ride this year was, but nothing like what I guarantee for 2003. Stay tuned…

But for now, if you found anything wrong or unclear with the review, don’t hesitate to tell me. Keep in mind, though, that it’s been three days since I saw the movie, which means my memory of it maybe faded. And it is late at night, so my brain cells aren’t fully functioning.

And Happy New Year!


Recommended: Yes