Spielberg Flees From Heavy Themes In Purely Entertaining 'Catch Me'

"Catch Me If You Can"

Call it the tale of two Stevens.

In late 2001, acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh capped off a spate of serious dramatic films with the enjoyable casino caper "Ocean's Eleven."

The older, more experienced Steven Spielberg followed suit by finishing 2002 in a similar way. His entry, "Catch Me If You Can," is definitely one of the more entertaining movies in recent memory.

And that's all it could be.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Frank Abagnale, Jr., a real-life con artist who impersonated Southern doctors and Pan Am pilots en route to cashing millions of dollars in forged checks.

FBI agent Carl Hanratty, played by Spielberg stalwart Tom Hanks, sets out in search of Abagnale, but his work in check fraud has left him ill-prepared, to say the least.

It's a hoot watching Abagnale mesmerize his targets with a mixture of charm and confidence, and DiCaprio pulls it off with aplomb. He definitely has matured, and he skillfully portrays Abagnale through his transformation from a naive, easily impressed teenager to master trickster.

Tom Hanks also amuses in his supporting role, particularly as his quasi-Bostonian accent fades in and out. Hanks doesn't normally play second fiddle, but he contributes a great deal here.

Like "Ocean's Eleven," "Catch Me If You Can" strings the audience along with Abagnale's unwitting victims as it sets up the next con, and therein lies the entertainment. It also helps that Spielberg's palette openly embraces all the bright colors and Space Age designs of the movie's 1960s setting.

But the film starts to falter when it deviates from those specifications.

While Christopher Walken delivers an effective and surprisingly non-creepy performance as Abagnale's father, Frank Sr., his performance can't save his story line from its emotionless state.

His downtrodden position in life and his straying wife inspire his son's illicit activities. Therefore, the audience certainly can understand why Frank Jr. embarks on this risky existence, but we don't feel it. Abagnale's ultimate discovery about his mother falls flat even though it was set up to be a shattering revelation.

This clunky plot weighs down the film for much of its two-hour, 20-minute span. The length would be forgivable had it been spent on worthier subjects.

An interesting subtext on appearances and consumerism is dropped halfway through the film, and "Alias" star Jennifer Garner's talents are wasted in an all-too-brief and pointless appearance.

All in all, "Catch Me If You Can" is what it set out to be: an engaging, humorous look at an intriguing character with a touch of the patented Spielberg magic.

But someone might want to remind this Steven to leave the serious entirely behind next time.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.