Movie No. 17 (2018): CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Amy Adams

If this were a product of the writer's imagination, I would have dismissed it as too good to be true. But, it seems that reality can indeed be stranger than fiction. This movie is an example.

Leonardo DiCaprio, as Frank Abagnale Jr.,  is a good choice to play the lead. Despite his real age, his face can be contoured or made up to appear as a teenager. In the later stages, the same make up can do the trick. And when these are complemented by his talent as actor, what we see on screen is quite believable. Tom Hanks plays a real life FBI agent (Carl Hanratty) who is so amused by Frank's 'accomplishment' that he can't avoid but 'respect' Frank's unusual criminal talent. The ensuing cat-and-mouse or hide-and-seek chasing of Frank by Carl is the centerpiece of the narrative. Spielberg effectively translate it well into the screen. We know how the movie ends. But, even if that's really how it ends, it is still a welcome surprise.

Rating: 3.5/4.0

Date seen: March 3, 2018