Spielberg is the master of the movies. He has polished the chase sequence to such perfection that it can carry the whole movie. But Catch Me if you can is more than perfection, and great casting and the ultimate chase movie, it is a fine filmmaker in complete control of his films.
In Catch Me If You Can, is a story of Frank Abagnale Jr. , a conman who forges and cashed millions of dollars in cheques. He impersonates an airline pilot, a high school teacher, a doctor and a lawyer. Catch Me is one long chase sequence In the process, it becomes as much the story of Abagnale (Leo) as it does the man who eventually catches him FBI man by the name of Carl (Tom Hanks).
Frank is boy troubled by his family conditions, his dad retiring from job, his mother leaving his father, he takes up into forging airline cheques thinking that money caused problems and money will solve them.
The best scene by far is the one where frank goes in the class and actually starts teaching french to a class in which he is supposed to study. the principal has to complain to his dad that he is teaching a class french for a week!
Another scene that intrigued me was the one in which FBI officers come to Leo’s mothers house to collect information and his mother says how many leo has stolen opening her purse with an intention to pay back and the agent tells her close to some million( dont know the exact figure)
Another Funny scene is while he starts as a lawyer he bangs the bag and appeals to a non existant jury about the case and the judge replies’’ As you can see this is a prelimnary hearing, there is no defendant , no jury , whatthe hell is wrong with you boy!
Carl is everything opposite of Abagnale but they have unlikely friendship that evolves out of their own loneliness. He helps frank out of the consequences of the crimes and shows him the right direction. The film’s most important moment comes after Leo is recruited to help the FBI capture cheque forgers. He is released from prison under FBI’s care. After beginning his new job with the federal government, DiCaprio realises that spending his life like ad drone. Unable to come to terms with his new life , he strides through an airport with a briefcase in pilots uniform. Hanks is not far behind.He tells Abagnale he does not plan to follow him because he knows that Abagnale will soon be back at the desk. Leo asks how he knows that, Hanks replies, there’s nobody following you.
Leo runs because he enjoys the sensation of being chased. That is the sensation that fuels the whole movie. It is the thing that keeps the viewer in his seat.
Hanks does a good job as always, DiCaprio as Abagnale is wonderful. DiCaprio manages to embody the charms of frank Abagnale at different ages in his career with finesse.
But it is Christopher Walken to who does a class act. He finely embodies the character of Frank Abagnale Sr. The scene at the restaurant is just too good.
The movie is a must watch and every bit of it is worth an oscar awards.The perfection is such that you wont find a single needle even without the hay stack! Given a choice I will watch this film at any time of the day.