CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Released: December 25, 2002
I'm not sure why studios do this... Two strong movies starring Leonardo Dicaprio - what to do?? Let's release them at the same time! Rather than give each film its own fair chance, Miramax ("Gangs Of New York") and Dreamworks (Catch Me...") decide to release the films over Christmas week. It's a tough call for critics - both films are pretty good. Harder still is for movie fans forced to decide on one or the other due to the ever-present balooning costs of seeing movies at theatres. Those who DO get to see both can marvel at a refreshed Dicaprio, absent from the screens since 2000's "The Beach". Dicaprio shines here, fully out of the shadow of 1997's "Titanic". Not only is he great as the elusive teen con artist, he reminds us again just how good an actor he really is. Also on board is the bloated Tom Hanks, in support role here as an FBI agent bent on catching the con. Christopher Walken reveals a soft & gentle side not often seen on screen as well. Martin Sheen has a good, but short, bit as the Father of a girl Dicaprio marries. All based on a real story, this succeeds overall thanks to director Steven Spielberg. After some disappointing movies like "Minority Report", "A.I." and his needless "E.T." tweaking, "Catch Me If You Can" is a delight because it strips down the movie making to just telling a good story properly. Not burdened by aliens, futuristic cops or robot kiddies, we see Spielberg at the top of his craft. The film makers excelled at creating the 1960's era look and the clothes, music and humor are perfect. To sum up, Dicaprio is great, Hanks is gaining weight but still very good, Walken can be a sensitive, loving Father in films if given a shot and Spielberg can still direct a decent movie worth seeing at full price in a theatre...
140 Minutes
DreamWorks