Day 186 - Catch Me If You Can



Day 186          Catch Me If You Can [2002]
                          
Screenplay                    Jeff Nathanson
Based on                       ‘Catch Me If You Can’ by Frank Abagnale
Director                         Steven Spielberg
Cinematography             Janusz Kamiński
Music                            John Williams
Leads                            Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Amy Adams, Jennifer Garner, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Elizabeth Banks
Production                     Amblin Entertainment, Parkes/MacDonald Productions

IMDb                                8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes                96%

Have you read the spiel above? Go back, read it, and try to convince me that this film was ever not going to be a classic. Spielberg and John Williams’ resumes speak for themselves. Kamiński is Spielberg’s go-to guy, behind the lens for Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, A.I., Minority Report, The Terminal, amongst others, as well as working with Cameron Crowe on Jerry Maguire (Day 58). The cast includes DiCaprio and Hanks at their very best, some rising stars in Adams, Garner and Banks, as well as some legends in Sheen and Walken. Jeff Nathanson is one of the less well-known names on the roster, but he did go on to write The Terminal, which is a low-key favourite film of mine. To top it all off, our protagonist, Frank Abagnale Jr., is a real person and the film is based on a true-life book by the man himself. And what a man, or should I say boy? DiCaprio plays Frank Jr., a bright and optimistic young boy whose parents, Baye and Walken, are having some trouble with the IRS and therefore their marriage. Frank Jr. runs away from home when he is just a boy and starts a beautiful life of con artistry. According to the real Frank Jr. the film is 80% true to what happened. After you’ve watched it you’ll realise how incredible it is what he got away with before he had even turned 21. It would not be possible to get away with it all nowadays. Abagnale’s ability to con everyone is the clear attraction of this film, however what makes it more than just a feel-good adventure is the relationship Abagnale has with his father, Frank Sr. He constantly seeks approval from his father and doesn’t make a single real friend during his scams. At least that’s what Spielberg makes us believe. It’s sad to think con men don’t come like this any longer. What a man. What a film.

Acting                             4 / 4
Writing                            3 / 4
Cinematography              3 / 4
Music                           3.5 / 4
HWF rating                 4 / 4

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