SummaryFrank W. Abagnale (DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer and as a co-pilot for a major airline -- all before his 21st birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill at check fraud had netted him millions of dollars in stolen funds. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Hanks) has made it his prime mission to capture F...
SummaryFrank W. Abagnale (DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer and as a co-pilot for a major airline -- all before his 21st birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill at check fraud had netted him millions of dollars in stolen funds. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Hanks) has made it his prime mission to capture F...
Everything about this swift and gorgeous and tremendously enjoyable film is played out in a rush of staccato edits, crisp performances, and charmingly giddy subplots that coalesce into Spielberg's most purely entertaining movie in years.
Score - 78%
This one was very good. Many call it an underrated Spielberg film and I thought that there was a lot of fun to be had. The film is not perfect however, there are some flaws. In this review I will dive into what worked for me, and the few things that didn’t work for me.
To begin with that opening scene, I think that this was a directorial choice by Spielberg, that didn’t fully work. In the opening scene, you see almost the end of the story, and then cut back. I think that this almost took away from the moment when he was captured, because there was no doubt in our minds that he would be captured. I think that it would have been better if the moment was recontextualised later. However, I did quite like how Spielberg keeps going back to this moment, and we are able to see what these characters think of what they did in the past. Spielberg for the rest of the film is great, giving the film its own unique feel, and creating the perfect level of mystery. We are also introduced to our two leads here, Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr. and Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty, our detective. Leo really showed himself here, and I think this performance was one of the reasons why he is so famous today. He plays a man who was once so confident, and then turns into scared and acceptance of his capture later on. Tom Hanks is the standout however, he plays such a serious character. He is so focussed on this case that we see it so well, and he proves yet again why he is one of the best in Hollywood.
The first act really dives into the set up for the film, as we see why Leo does what he does. There are some great scenes in here, particularly the school scene, that is quite iconic. I think that the two parents, played by Christopher Walken and Nathalie Baye were great. They conveyed such emotion in this film, Walken played a character trying to look so strong, but really is falling apart. I this that this groundwork is so important here, and I am so glad that Spielberg kept in these scenes. One of my issues is that I do not fully buy into Leo’s character’s motivation. I understand that he feels lost, but I don’t fully buy it. I might be missing something, but the running away feels out of nowhere for me. I did enjoy seeing Leo’s turn, as we have some montages that were enjoyable. Also, the sets and costumes for the planes and character designs were super great and a special shout out should go to Jeannine Oppewall and Mary Zophres.
The second act is when we saw Tom Hanks come in. I think that this makes the film take a great turn for the better, as it creates a cat and mouse feel. Any scene with Hanks in were the standout scenes, and seeing him figure out the mystery was stunning. Out focus was on Leo, and I wish we saw just a bit more of Hanks. One of the standout scenes in here was one where we thought Leo was found, but he works his way out of it in a great way. Leo’s story was enjoyable, as we begin to see how this life isn’t enjoyable for him. He tries to settle down with Amy Adam’s character of Brenda Strong. She was so innocent, and it was so hard to watch as she found out that Leo is actually a fraud. The pacing was really good in here, as when you think it is about to drop, you get a Hanks scene and you are back into it. One scene when Hanks thinks he has found Leo, but actually hasn’t and you see Leo leave was so great, and I loved Spielberg’s direction in here. One other thing that I would like to mention as I feel like the cinematography could be a bit better. I think that Janusz Kaminski could have done a better job.
The third act sees Leo leave it all and fully commit. There was a scene of him really showing his fraud in a university that was fun to watch. We see Leo’s capture after this, and it feels great for Hanks to catch him, it was so satisfying. We actually see a bond between Hanks and Leo, which I wasn’t expecting. It was enjoyable, but I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know if it was necessary but it does finish Hanks’ arc in a nice way. However, the end point feels a bit generic, and I don’t like the text on the screen.
Overall, this film has a lot of good, particularly the performances, direction, second act and pacing. It has some issues, notably Leo’s motivation, a generic ending and I would have liked to see a bit more Hanks in here.
DiCaprio is far more successfully cast here than in Gangs of New York: His performance is all about acting; it's a mild kick to see how he'll manage to talk his way out of nearly every scrape.
Leonardo DiCaprio at his best (yet he always is). This movie is amazing. Leo's character is pure joy, and is just so fun and intresting. It is a must-see, especially as it co-stars Tom Hanks in this briliantlly excecuted masterpiece.
Very entertaining movie with top acting: Walken, Di Caprio and Hanks are marvellous. The story itself is not complicated but the presentation with different timelines is forcing you to focus.
Disappointed that you can take the two greatest actors of our generation and make a cheesy, plot holes movie. Acting was great. Storyline was good, considering that it's a true story. Many plot holes and things that simply don’t make sense for dramatic effect. Too lighthearted, jokes are not very funny.
Production Company
Dreamworks Pictures,
Kemp Company,
Splendid Pictures,
Parkes/MacDonald Image Nation,
Amblin Entertainment,
Muse Entertainment Enterprises,
The Kennedy/Marshall Company