For a movie that won’t require a marathon of heavy brainwork on the part of the audience, and offers some genuine entertainment, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is a good way to spend a couple of hours. I am glad I waited for this to be released in DVD to see it. The extras are worth waiting for.

Shot in 52 days, in many locations around the US and Canada, (51), you would never know it from the final result. It is polished, beautifully edited and a nicely finished piece of work. It helps to have Spielberg at the helm, although this is definitely a new type of film for him. It is about as far a departure from the elaborate and dark MINORITY REPORT, the Spielberg movie that came before this one, in content and appearance as it is possible to get. This is a fun movie, although there are some serious undertones.

THE STORY , AND THE DIRECTION

The movie is based on a book by the original Frank Abegnale Jr, (with Stan Redding) upon whose exploits the movie is based. The screen play was contributed by Jeff Nathanson (RUSH HOUR 2) . Comparing the book to the movie is probably irrelevant, but there are of course some changes made in the story for the screen. Surprisingly, the real life Frank was a little more interesting than the one in the movie. I don’t know if in this case the truth seems too impossible to show on screen , or because of the limitations of the lead actor, but it works well for the movie anyway. It was DiCaprio’s project , and he went looking for a director. Spielberg was only to produce the movie to start with. I think both Spielberg and the movie profited from the change. Spielberg shows another facet of his considerable talent, and the movie had the benefit of sure, impeccably visualized direction.

The movie does not contain any real action scenes, but it is so fast paced and focused that it feels like an action based movie. Very few scenes are very long, and the music will drive it forward and enhance the feel of a headlong rush. It works well for the plot, because tensions increase as the character gets in more trouble, and the feds close in.


The cast is terrific, but DiCaprio is outclassed by the supporting actors, Hanks and Walken. Walken turned in an Oscar nominated performance. Hanks took another unusual and interesting role, the second in the year. The less well known cast seemed perfect for their parts.

THEMES OF THE MOVIE /AND THE SIXTIES-

***Warning. Contains off topic elements

The father- son relationship theme is more typical of a Spielberg movie, and there are two father figures who run parallel for the main character-his father and the FBI agent who is chasing him. It is an interesting way to develop the nuances in the lead character, although both “fathers” have missing pierces . It plays back and forth as personality traits of both of these guys are revealed, although always with the intent to reveal characteristics of the lead player, Frank W. Abegnale Jr.

The trappings of success and the motivation of our character in getting money is an interesting sub theme, and finely tuned to the decade in which this movie is set. Because the father was in trouble with the IRS, young Frank thinks all the problems of their lives can be solved by getting money, whatever way he can.

The secondary major theme relates to taking on roles by virtue of appearance, a singular talent of our teenage con man. Besides his natural ability and intelligence, Frank discovers that “clothes” make the man. For example, as a “himself” he couldn’t cash a check, or be convincing telling lies. With the uniform of an airline pilot, doors open. Scamming by “misdirection” is a well used device, by our anti-hero. By diverting and misdirection, our anti-hero manages to get by in many interesting situations. And it would not have been impossible in the sixties.

So, the disbelieving audience says,” This could never have happened.” But it could and did. Generally, in the sixties, everyone was more trusting. People dressed their role in whatever situation they were in. You dressed up for interviews, and most women would never have gone even to the grocery store without wearing a dress, and “fixing up” first. (Girls never wore pants to school either) Dressing for success had meaning, as well as how you appeared when you were down and out.

I can verify this from my own life. For example, as a teenager, in high school, I decided one year to wear heels to school. I never again went to study hall, and wandered the halls when my classmates were languishing in the dreary room. I didn’t plan to do this, but when I walked in to the first study hall, the teacher sitting there gave me his seat. I took over math classes for my home room teacher frequently, (at her request) and no one, including the principle or other teachers, ever were the wiser.
Security in banks was virtually non existent. Coding for licenses , checks, and other critical documents did not exist. A clever con man could pull it off.

Interestingly, Frank has made a fantastic living in the last years helping to design security systems that would prevent present day criminals from doing what he did. Of course, as the security gets more sophisticated, so do the criminals.

In terms of young Franks amorous adventures, it remains one point of incredulity for me. DiCaprio, unlike the Real Frank, just is not that sexy (in my mind). He is still a skinny hairless boy. But this was the age leading into free love, the sexual freedom sixties, and people were a lot more likely to jump into the sack together on a mich more casual basis. And our teenager went into the two most philandering of all professions, working as a professional for an airline and being a doctor. It was inevitable.

All this discussion aside, the quiet messages are delivered discreetly and for the most part, we can feel free to go with the flow and let this movie be fun. Humor is the prevalent element, and it will pop up in many unexpected places. My favorite is Hanratty’s “knock-knock” joke. I won’t ruin it for you.

CINEMATOGRAPHY, SET DESIGN

The set design by Jeannine Claudio Oppenwall (PLEASANTVILLE) brought back all the bad taste of the sixties, including the styles, hair dos, polyester suits, and big cars. It reeked of New York, and the time before airlines were deregulated. It was an extremely well researched production, and I was impressed. It is an era not often in the spotlight in movies, where the hippy culture has not taken a firm hold in the youth of the country, and protest was being done, but not to the extent that it would be in just a very few years. The US was a country on edge, bigger than life, flamboyant, with colors and kitsch in every corner. I could only view this as a sub adolescent, but I saw it repeated here in this movie just the same.

The photography by Janusz Kaminski (SCHINDLER’S LIST) was faultless, and for once, in the recent past, a Spielberg movie allows some daylight in. The lighting choices certainly reflect the fun of this movie. The blue corridors only return for the prison, and the color palette is pretty wide for most of the fun parts of the flick.


MUSIC

The music by John Williams was nominated for an Oscar. It was a pretty interesting mixture of progressive jazz, nervous skittery themes that warn you when action is about to heat up, with sad bluesy themes that play when the boy is thinking about his father, or their lives as a family-sort of a homesick sub- theme. It varies a lot in emotional content through the movie, yet is a coherent score that really could be fun to own. It was pretty wonderful and completely atypical for this very talented Composer.

DVD

The two DVD set does not include a feature length commentary, but there are mutliple interviews, some discussion, and a long segment from Frank Jr himself. It was nice to get the background, because my first thought watching this is, “This isn’t TRUE is it?”...Well it is, and you can hear all about it on the DVD.

THE PLOT

The movie opens in 1969. An FBI guy, Carl Hanratty is approaching a French prison, trying to explain who he is and what he is there for. He has come to extradite Frank Abegnale Jr back to the US, to answer for his misdeeds. What we don’t know (and never would know unless we put it together from the interviews on the DVD) is that he has actually been languishing in French or European prisons for two years before he is returned to the US.

After a failed escape attempt, Young Frank is handcuffed and on his way back to the States.

"Two mice fell into a bucket of cream...."

Then the movie jumps to 6 years prior to the first scene, 1963. Frank Abegnale senior is getting an award from The Rotary Club of New Rochelle , as a respected member of the business community. His wife and son are in the audience, proudly watching. (Young Frank is ripping labels off of wine bottles-it looks like nervous fiddling. We ignore it)

Not long after, we find Frank Sr. in trouble with the IRS. He enlists his son to play act as his chauffeur, to drive him to NYC bank to apply for a loan. The bank officer was not impressed, and the tax fraud issue destroys the family financially, and from the kid’s point of view ruins the idyllic romantic relationship between his mother and father. They have to move out of their fancy home and into a cheap apartment. Frank’s mother cries.

When Frank Jr starts school in his new school, he wanders into his French class. Since he is the only one with a suit and tie, the class thinks he is their new substitute teacher, and Frank teaches the class for a week. We are starting to get a glimmer of how easy it is for this kid to move from role to role, and how much fun it is to do so. We also get the idea this may not have been the first time. Mom is unhappy , his Dad titters about it with him.

So this gives two important messages. First, his Dad admires his flim flam, and when he gives him a checking account (with which he will write bad checks) he tells him “You’re in the club now”, he indicates the bank book as the passport to success.

Things at home rapidly get worse, and we see that Mom may be screwing around with Dad’s best friend. When the inevitable divorce comes, Frank is to choose which parent he wants to live with. Instead he cuts and runs.

He quickly runs out of money, and checks, and in an inspirational moment, sees a gaggle of Airline Pilots and Stewardesses entering a hotel-and the instant respect and prestige that surrounds them, based on their glamorous professions. You know where this is going.

“Knock , knock...”

Frank Jr is a quick study, and learns how to forge checks, get information, assume identities, seduce women and be one step ahead of authorities, most of the time. Inevitably, the sheer # of transactions will get the attention of the FBI, and Carl Hanratty, a more or less humorless dude in a Fedora, who will be on his tail for the rest of the flick.

Hanratty has a Boston accent, and personal issues, being divorced, with a daughter he has not seen in a long time. He will connect with Frank in the movie (where he does not in reality ever meet him until he is caught) and the relationship that develops between these two characters is a pretty interesting development. Hanratty is desperate to catch him, but even he has to admire the skill of the young con man.

In his three year check forging history, which in reality was to the tune of over two million dollars, our boy Frank Abegnale Jr. will be a co-pilot (who never has to fly a plane, using the status to travel on other airlines) a doctor, and a lawyer, even taking the Boards to practice law in Louisiana. How does he do this? You will have to see the movie to find out!

The action will take you past the point of entry to the future ...... Come on! You KNOW you want to know about this!


CAST AND PERFORMANCES

Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank W. Abegnale Jr. This was DiCaprio’s project and he invested himself in it fully. Although the actor was 28 years old at the filming, he looks more like the 17 year old he is supposed to be, whereas the real Frank looked older at 17. I suppose it works. I’m not saying the actor is a bad guy, or didn’t emote properly. But lets face it. He is still a skinny hairless boy. Almost pulls it off though.

Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty-as a Character acting part, this wasn’t bad. Hanks is having a hard time breaking out of his good guy persona, and he has been taking lots of risks, lately. I don’t think it is hurting him and he was outstanding. The character is as funny as one can get, without pushing it to the point of absurdity, and has failings that certainly increase the level of his humanity. Has the best lines and the best joke in the flick. Hanks is amazing. You don’t need me to tell you that.

Christopher Walken- as Frank Abegnale Sr.-for the record, this is the best performance in the flick, and one of the best of 2002. Walken creates a very complex and sympathetic character here, who does a full range of fatherly feelings and bad role modeling. He is really what makes the story cinematic, because he provided the motivation for the junior’s success (to bail him out and get his wife back) and the bad example, and encouragement for the emerging scam artist. His fatal failing s encouraging the kid to keep running, instead of stopping the scam. This is a written- in character, that does not reflect the real father, who the real Frank Jr. never saw again after leaving home. Oustanding, and moving performance.

Martin Sheen as Roger Strong. This character is the DA with whom the shamming Frank will work as a prosecuting attorney in Louisiana. Sheen goes a little overboard in this character, you might think-unless of course you have been to New Orleans and are cognizant of the ways of the South.

Natalie Baye as Paula Abegnale-she is French,( has no problem with the French accent ) and is shown to be very unhappy at their financial downfall, and also having an affair with the best friend. Even so, I thought she was a very sympathetic character, and listening to the father whine, I don’t blame her for leaving him, although it seems a might shallow. Well done, by this more mature but still lovely lady.

Amy Adams-as Brenda Strong-this actress auditioned hard for the part and threw herself into the role. The character is a younger woman, not too bright, working as a candy striper in a Georgia Hospital. In the book she is not the fiancé or related to the DA, but is a girl young Frank told of his identity, and who turned him in, almost getting him caught. It is hard to see what Frank saw in her, although it was I think, trying to show that he longed to be his own age again, and become part of a family group-even if he had to create his own.

Steve Eastin as Paul Morgan-This is the guy that the mother left Frank Sr. for. Seems a bit stuffy, and hardly romantic, but what do I know?

Frank Abegnale Jr, the original, has a cameo in the film as one of the French policemen.

Jennifer Garner, as Cheryl Ann, the model/call girl. A small part but a necessary one for one of the funniest scenes in the movie for DiCaprio. You may know the actress in her starring role in the miniseries Alias. It was a kick. She was pretty good.

Those are the main ones.-there are others.



FINAL RECOMMENDATION

This is a fun but essentially fluffy movie that will probably not move you to tears, although you may get a laugh or two out of it. It is certainly never boring. No one at my house fell sleep while it was on, and that does say something about the entertainment value of this movie!







Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age