Steven Spielberg earned his place in film history books as master entertainer, but, especially in last few decades of his career, he tried very hard to be remembered as Great Artist, usually by making serious dramas and historic dramas about important subjects. While most of those films featured his undeniable skills as film maker, they often looked preachy and pretentious, making Spielberg fans yearn for something much lighter. Spielberg would sometimes deliver what was required, like with his 2002 biopic Catch Me If You Can.
Film is based on the best-selling eponymous 1980 autobiographical book by Frank Abagnale, dealing with author’s career as young and successful con artist. The plot starts in early 1960s when 16-year old Frank Abagnale (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) grows up in seemingly idyllic family of Frank Abagnale Sr. (played by Christopher Walken). The idyll is interrupted with IRS investigation after which family will suddenly become poor and Frank’s mother Paula (played by Nathalie Baye) seek comfort in the arms of father’s best friend Jack Barnes (played by James Brolin). When divorce happens, Frank is faced with dilemma with which parent he should live. He solves it by running away of home and tries to find roof over head by paying hotel bills with forged checks. After few failed attempt, Frank has mastered forging skills and other confidence tricks enough to get Pan Am pilot uniform which allows him to fly all over United States without paying air ticket. His actions catch attention of Carl Hanratty (played by Tom Hanks), FBI agent who will develop years-long obssession with young conman. In the meantim, Frank enjoys most expensive hotels, restaurants and women, but gradually begins feeling that he should settle down and start a family. Opportunity comes in the form of Brenda Strong (played by Amy Adams), nurse in hospital where Frank impersonated paediatrician. Frank proposes marriage and, in order to impress her father Roger Strong (played by Martin Sheen), respectable Louisiana attorney, lies that he has earned law degree at Berkeley. This lie helps him get post of assistant state attorney, but 19-year old man will nevertheless have to confront some unpleasant truths about himself.
Apparently tired of dark subjects and experiments with “cool” film making styles, Spielberg decided to make Catch Me If You Can as conventional as possible. Apart from introductory scenes showing Frank’s extradition to US authorities and couple of flashbacks, narration is linear and Jeff Nathanson’s script follows young conman’s adventures in predictable fashion. What is most interesting in the film – ingenious ways in which Abagnale deceived banks, airlines and FBI – are product of Abagnale himself and people in 1960s being naive rather than film authors’ being inspired. The only Spielberg’s intervention into the script is his insistence on family values, preached in two ways – first, through suggestions that parents’ divorce led young Frank to take the path of crime; second, by introducing character of Agent Hanratty as some kind of Frank’s surrogate father. Celebration of traditional family goes hand in hand with nostalgic depiction of early 1960s as golden age in which there weren’t Vietnam, Watergate, drugs and terrorism and when people generally better than decades later. Because of that, opportunity to portray Frank as some kind of rebel against hypocritical Establishment is never used. Spielberg is too conservative to use motives that made late 1960s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid into cult film. For the same reasons, Spielberg ignored parts of Abagnale’s book that described horrific abuse the author had suffered in French prison and instead simply prolonged film for twenty minutes only to provide predicatbly sentimental and happy ending.
Lack of “deep” content doesn’t mean that Catch Me If You Can is bad film. Spielberg has done solid job, using his old and experienced associates. That included cinematographer Janusz Kaminski who used bright colour and plenty of light in order to reconstruct optimistic atmosphere of 1960s. Composer John Williams, on the other hand, somewhat surprisingly uses jazz motives, making his soundtrack very much like Henry Mancini’s classics. Leonardo DiCaprio is very good in main role, showing ability to play both adolescent and adult. Always dependable Christopher Walken provides very moving portrayal of Frank Senior, while Tom Hanks doesn’t look that good choice for the role of protagonist’s surrogate father. Amy Adams represents true discovery of this film. An actress who, until that time, played mostly bimbos, shines in the role of woman who could be seen as Abagnale’s biggest victim. Although far from the biggest triumphs of his career, Catch Me If You Can gives good example of Spielberg as master entertainer.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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