Movie Review: Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great acting; second half

Cons: Slow start

The Bottom Line:

Worth your time to watch

No reason to rush to see

Overcomes slow start

Catch It If You Can - Cheaply

Catch Me If You Can is one of those movies that defies classification. It is part character study, part cop and robber chase, and even part buddy picture. And while it isn't perfect, all the pieces really seem to hold together.

Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) had an easy life in New York during the 1960's. He was the only child of his parents and his father (Christopher Walkin) made a decent living from owning a store.

All that came crashing down around him when the IRS came calling demanding more money. As things got more and more dire, his mother (Nathalie Baye) filed for divorce. Suddenly forced to choose between his two parents, Frank took off instead with the clothes on his back and a checkbook with a balance of $25.

Even though Frank was only 16 at the time, he was also brilliant. He quickly figured out how to cash checks for more then he had. That led to forging checks, which led to taking jobs as a pilot, a lawyer and a doctor, all without even a high school diploma.

But things weren't all fun and games. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) was on his tail. Can Carl catch Frank?

The movie starts rather slowly as it sets up Frank's transition from middle class kid to white collar criminal. There are times during the first half where I felt like the movie just needed to get on with the story.

Fortunately, it does. Carl is introduced slowly into the film, but the more screen time he gets, the more the tension builds. To be honest, by the end you don't know who to root for. Part of you wants Frank to get away. Yet you know he's broken the law, so you want Carl to catch him.

Both of the main characters are brilliantly developed and played by the two leads. Leonardo DiCaprio is wonderful as Frank. He makes our anti-hero into someone we like. And watching him worm his way out of tight spots at a moment's notice is amazing. I had a hard time taking my eyes off the screen when he was around.

At the same time, Tom Hanks is great as Carl. His character is determined as he relentlessly hunts down every clue for Frank. Yet he is human as well.

There are a series of phone calls between the two on Christmas Eve that really do capture the spirit of the film. Honestly, you could watch those calls and get the essence of the film. And when Carl realizes Frank calls him because he has no one else, it is heartbreaking.

Yet with all this praise, the first half of the film really detracts. It seems like there should have been some way to shorten it to get to the heart of the film. I mean, the movie is two hours and twenty minutes, so it's not like it was too short on time. A little tighter cutting near the beginning would have made the movie perfect.

Catch Me If You Can is saved from three stars by the second half. If you are interested in it, odds are you will be entertained. But there's no need to drop everything and watch it today.