Catch Me If You Can Review

2002 was a great year for Steven Spielberg. He released both Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can, both grossing approximately half a billion dollars. While those two are on my favorite Spielberg list, I feel that Catch Me If You Can has to be considered one of the best that the director has made. As always SPOILERS will be included.

The opening title sequence is such an entertaining thing to watch. It is reminiscent of the old Saul Bass title sequences of the past which appeared in films he worked on such as North by Northwest and Psycho to name a few. The sequence details the young figure being followed by a man in a suit. The figure switches occupations from being a pilot, a pediatrician, and a lawyer. Shame though that title sequences are somewhat extinct now.

The film then cuts to the game show called “To Tell The Truth” where the host announces that the three men are Frank Abagnale and elaborates further that Frank had scammed a variety of people in three continents for millions of dollars. Although it’s obvious that Leo DiCaprio plays him and the poster gave it away. Then it cuts to a French prison where Carl Hanratty played by Tom Hanks is asking the French police to see Frank. When he sees Frank, he is extremely ill. When the doctors take him to be examined, Frank attempts to escape.

We then flash back when Frank and his family were affluent. From there, we see that he has a penchant for removing labels such as when he removes the wine label. We then transition when we see that the dad played by Christopher Walken has Frank follow him to con a bank by giving him a loan. The bank denies Abagnale Sr. a loan due to him having an association of multiple tax frauds from the IRS. Which leads them to downscale from having a big house to an apartment.

The downsizing results in Frank attending a public school. When he first attends his French class, he starts to act like a substitute. This is one of my favorite scenes and I will tell you why. Abagnale just raises his voice to have total authority in the classroom and has a lot of his classmates duped. Another is when he gets back at a letterman who just earlier bumped into him by the lockers in the hallway. In a way, it is a payback. By having him recite a French sentence in front of the entire class. Though what sucks is when the actual substitute got duped as well, which prompts her to leave the school.

Soon it leads to Frank being chastised by the principal. His mother is disappointed in him but his dad chuckles with him. Things get worse when the mother Paula starts to cheat on the father. He is asked by the lawyers on whom to stay with, Frank runs away. This is where the film really kicks off since he tries to live in New York City relying on checks his Dad made for him. Though, it doesn’t work since he immediately gets evicted and kicked out by a landlord. On the streets, he notices that the pilot and flight attendants are treated like stars, which I feel is a far cry to today now since no one really cares or admires them.

He buys a used pilot uniform and asks a worker under a guise as a student newspaper reporter a series of questions on being a pilot. Frank manages to use his charm to get a series of checks to forge and loads of model Pan-Am airplanes to make the forgery seem legit. The scenes where we see Abagnale put together or knowing how to assemble fake checks is so interesting to me that I actually want to read the book the film is based on. I can probably infer that he may have learned it from his father, but I can get Frank taught himself.

Though his charm only goes so far since. There are moments where when he is an either in the cockpit or operating room where he looks like a deer in the headlights. So much so that he has no clue what a dead head is. Even I had to look it up. It’s interesting to me as to why there are technical terms that sound sexual. Anyways, Frank’s exploits catch the eye of Carl Hanratty. Tom Hanks does a good job playing the FBI Detective. He’s a real stick in the mud and the complete opposites of his partners who like to joke a lot.  Though, his fake accent does get a tad distracting.

The first meeting is tense when Carl intercepts Frank in California. Abagnale manages to use his calm manner to defuse the situation when Hanratty is pointing his colt pistol at him. Even before that, Frank manages to pay two men to play the part as himself when the FBI arrived. I thought that Frank’s fake name Barry Allen was clever. Despite the name being associated with DC Comics’ The Flash, Frank manages to evade Carl. Later, Carl realizes the connection and later knowing that Abagnale is a teenager.

In between the moments where he assumes another identity, he spends time with his Dad. We later understand why exactly Frank is committing fraud. Which is him attempting to bring his family back together. Not realizing that his Dad and Mom are separated. I think the Dad goes through a nice character arc where he is vindictive with the government robbing his wealth to have him transition with having a job as a postal worker. I think it cements the idea of giving in to authority which we’ll see later.

Frank later becomes a doctor and a lawyer. He also meets Brenda played by Amy Adams. There is a moment that is very neat such as him fixing Brenda’s relationship with her family. For once, he actually felt being a part of a family. Frank calls Carl and asks him to call off the hunt for him but, Hanratty says that isn’t possible since Abagnale has stolen 4 million dollars. I really like the moments where Carl and Frank are on the phone during Christmas. I find it ironic since that holiday is associated with family and Frank only has an FBI detective that has any sense of a relationship.

Unfortunately, Frank abandons Brenda and flees the country. Years past and Carl manages to find the teen to a printing factory in France. The police takes Abagnale away and we cut to where we saw him in the beginning at the French prison. Throughout the movie, scenes flashback and forward where Carl has Frank in custody. It breaks the film up to have a break with Frank escaping.

Well, when they land in New York, Frank escapes one more time to go to his original house. It’s heartbreaking to see his mother already move on with a new husband. Honestly, it makes me think if the mother ever really loved Frank. Compounding it is Frank seeing his new stepsister. He finally gives up and gets in the backseat of the police car.  The film ends in a good note when Frank manages to use his intellect to find fake checks and actually worked in the same department as Carl.

As I mentioned earlier, this is one of the best Spielberg film. Ranking them is just impossible due to how pleasing it is. I feel that it should at least be a Top 5, due to making a conman relatable and sympathetic. It’s not an easy job to do but Spielberg and DiCaprio manage to make Frank Abagnale such a compelling character. Overall, this is a very entertaining film to enjoy. One where it forces you to ask, just how exactly did Frank get away with it.

Catch Me If You Can gets a 4 out of 5.