MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Catch Me’ not Speilberg’s best, but still entertaining — Grade B
In a movie market dominated by shoot ’em up and big explosion flicks, this is a nice trade off, but it still has some flaws.
Director Steven Spielberg has put his magic touch on just about every genre of movie to date. This is more of a bio-pic meets good family fare, and he pulls it off for the most part.
This film has a very easy, soft overtone. Something that is great for just about any movie goer. This is one of the more enjoyable and entertaining Spielberg movies to hit the big screen in a long time. This is no “Saving Private Ryan” or “Schindler’s List,” but it has its own merits.
The first is a great performance by Leonardo DiCaprio. I am not normally a fan of Leo, but he actually turns in a great performance of real life con artist Frank Abagnale. DiCaprio moves through the years of deception that began when Abagnale was a teenager.
It was fun to see that a man, well a teenager, could pose as an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer. And DiCaprio held his own against perennial favorite Tom Hanks (FBI agent Carl Hanratty).
The film was fairly brisk and crisp, which leads the audience to understand that the film-maker and stars enjoyed making this movie. Unlike some that feel more like an obligation to the world and less like good old fashion storytelling.
In an interesting move, this film puts its star on screen in two theaters at the same time. The other, “Gangs of New York,” is said to be the real gem of the two, but really fails to showcase what he is really capable of.
Hanks gives what I would consider a standard performance. There is nothing special in this role for him and he delivers the traditional “Hanks” performance. He really could have found more in the personal aspects of the character. But then again, why break a mold that already works?
Now, I must point out the things that make this movie a little weak. The running time may be a bit long, but the trend in the flicks right now is to run over two hours. Gone are the days when a story could be told in 90 minutes. And the second is simply that there is not a lot of padding to the film. It does seem to be a little shallow at times. It gives the old Hollywood “Film-by-numbers” sort of feeling, but sometimes that is really what you want to see. This satisfies without being over the top.
Another quick shout out must be made to composer John Williams. His ’60s-infused score adds a nice layer to the film and a touch of the frivolous to what could be considered a candy-coated movie.
Justin Berry is working toward his second bachelor’s degree in theater performance Comments can be sent to Justinsb26@hotmail.com.