● Opinion

One of the main issues I have with the film is that whilst it may have drawn inspiration from a true story the screenplay has obviously gone through tinsel town's glitz machine and resulted in a slightly over the top, implausible plot line which although entertaining lacks the realism that the film deserves. Now there is nothing like a bit of escapism but this is pushing the boundaries a bit far and you really have to disengage your brain to accept some of the set ups and cons which are shown in the film. Maybe these actually are real cons and events but the way the film delivers them makes them seem cartoon like in their implausibility. Another huge problem with the film is you are split as to who you are championing. Do we route for Abagnale who is enjoying himself as he cons his way through life or are we supposed to route for Hanratty as he tries to uphold the law and bring the young man in. The film never really asks us to champion one or another and that leaves you in a conundrum as there is no good guy, bad guy set up and so I found I couldn't feel for either, and wasn't to concerned at a possible outcome as to who wins. More problems continue with the fact that the story line whilst entertaining is pretty flat, there are no real elements of suspense or moments which leave you drop jawed as something amazing happens. Everything seems to be two dimensional and just plays along in the hope that it is enough to keep you watching. I wish I could say the issues stop there, but the film is also spoilt by some terrible cliché dialogue which feels completely unoriginal. Saying all that, one of the good things about the story is that it moves along at a gallop and thankfully you are not left long at any time to ponder the implausibility of what you have just watched. You would think that I don't like this film, but when you disengage your brain the film is reasonable enjoyable and entertaining.

What does come as a surprise is that this is a piece of directional work from Steven Spielberg, and from such a great director you would expect more. The whole film lacks the intensity that the concept deserves and at times the whole thing feels slightly rushed, pushed out just to make money, well a lot of director's make films for money rather than artistic merit so why not Spielberg. Part of this problem probably stems from 2002 being another year where we see Spielberg put out two movies in this case "Minority Report" in the summer and "Catch Me If You Can" in the winter. But despite feeling rushed the film has some positives, the most prominent one being that it captures the feel of the 60s, when it is set, brilliantly both in set design, costume and sound track.

This is a film which technically has a lot of issues, but as already mentioned, if you can disengage your brain and watch it just for the entertainment factor then it is reasonably enjoyable. For me the first time I watched it I was disappointed as I did expect so much more from a top director and leading actors, but since then I have learnt to appreciate it for what it is, just a commercial piece of entertainment. If you enjoy films such as "Ocean's Eleven" and "Matchstick Men" then you will probably enjoy this.

Certificate: 12
Duration: 135 mins
Year of Release: 2002
Genre: Crime, drama

Cast: Leoardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walkern, Martin Sheen, James Brolin, Jennifer Garner