An FBI agent hunts down a young con artist who successfully impersonated an airline pilot doctor and assistant attorney general cashing more than $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in 26 countries.
Review
This was an entertaining and fun piece of film making from the everreliable Steven Spielberg. It is a bit of a depart from his usual fullblown and hugely epic pictures yet this does not detract at all from the fascinating story of Frank Abagnale Jr. I was interested in this man before Id seen the movie and it only served to increase my interest. Although it is important to remember (as with any such film) that this is only inspired by a true story and not told word for word from one the plot is fascinating and keeps you laughing crying and wondering until the end.
Frank Abagnale Jr. is an astounding and interesting character. The real life Abagnale originally said that he did not believe Dicaprio to be suave enough to play the role but he certainly does pull it off. Dicaprios acting is superb and totally believable as a man who could lie to deceive and con everyone he met without once losing any of his charisma or charm. Hanks is also excellent he plays the role of the obsessed FBI agent well and also with a likable quality. The interaction between these two characters was great it was interesting to see a budding relationship slowly build between two characters who were actually positioned against one another.
I loved the look of the film. It was a refreshing blast to see the 60s portrayed in such a vivid and colorful way. The whole setting and atmosphere of the film gave it a wonderful and almost (I hesitate to use the word) magical sense. This tone appealed to me much more than a darker tone might have.
However the film is rife with moral ambiguity. As much fun as it is to watch Dicaprio jumping from one place (and identity) to the next forging checks and spending inordinate amounts of money at a whim the film never really focuses on the morally bankrupt side of the story. The portion of the film devoted to this at the end still seems to skim over the fact that this man has stolen millions of dollars. It ends on a high note for Frank Abagnale Jr. never fully spelling out the wrongs he committed. Still this would probably bring the whole film down and sometimes its fun just to enjoy a bit of escapism without being told off for desiring such things. I mean its hard to be totally strict and upright you have to love it when Dicaprios character swindles Jennifer Garners prostitute for $400!
Overall this is a fun film and really enjoyable. Not as much of an epic masterpiece as some of Spielbergs other movies but still a great film!