Catch Me if You Can

[©brad]

Was pretty excited about this flick. Saw it, and enjoyed it. However, it kind of dragged on for a while, and if you've seen the trailer you've seen pretty much everything. In fact, the trailer is a lot faster and more fun.

Wasn't too impressed w/ the cinematog. Thought ole wonderboy Kaminski would have done much more, but it was pretty bland.

Pretty badass title sequence. Leo was really good, much better than his performance in Gangs.

[Satcho9]

After seeing this movie all I have to say is: Don't expect Indiana Jones 4 to be good.

[©brad]

Uhh, why wouldn't Indiana Jones 4 be good?

Did you not see Minority Report?

[xerxes]

i actually liked it quite a bit... was very fun... some cheesy-ness, but nothing to get in a huff about.

[Duck Sauce]

I really enjoyed it for its Oceans 11 appeal. It was a fun movie, something I appreciate because not every film has to have a deep meaning to it to be great.

[Gold Trumpet]

good fun movie but the real shame about this movie is that there were so many different themes that were showing their faces every now and then but really no exploration or creative insights into any of them. And also being a major hater of beginning titles, the one for this movie was quite good to a point you can wonder what was better, that or the movie. I just wished Speilberg would have done to the chase movie what he did with sci fi film with Minority Report in completely reinventing it. Minority Report is in my mind maybe his best movie actually.

~rougerum

[soixante]

Catch Me never adds up to anything more than just a series of interesting scams.  Spielberg really needs to find someone who can tell him, "less is more" in the editing room.  This film doesn't need to be 2 and a half hours.  Also, Hanks' role could have been trimmed a great deal.  But since he's Hanks, he has to have a big role.  I liked his performance, he should have had less screen time.  Go back to Sugarland Express, Spielberg's first film -- Goldie Hawn was the main character, and Spielberg cut back to Ben Johnson chasing after her.  Johnson didn't appear any more than he needed to.  In Catch Me, Hanks appears from the first, then we flash back.  It would have been better to bring Hanks in once Leo starts doing his scams.  I think The Insider suffered from a similar problem -- Crowe is the lead character with the biggest conflict, but Pacino gets lots of extra scenes just because he's Pacino.

I think Spielberg's best films were in the 70's, when he didn't have as much clout, and had a lot more discipline (which was forced upon him).  His films nowadays are simply too long, have too much flab.  Catch Me shouldn't have been any longer than 2 hours.

[GodDamnImDaMan]

all im saying is dont expect "Turner and Hootch 2: Who you calling a Hootch?!?!?!" to be any good...

[Tictacbk]

anyone see The Simpsons with the CMIYC title sequence spoof?  Good stuff.

[matt35mm]

That was brilliant.  Ended with a perfect angle of Homer on the can.  B-r-i-l-l-i-a-n-t.

[Redlum]

This was on TV the other night and Hanks's 'Knock Knock' joke was censored to "Go *flog* yourself". It's no "Son of a *butthead*" but still very good.

While I'm here...this is still my favourite Spielberg film of this century. There are so many perfect moments. Particularly one of the last scenes when Frank is at the window of his mothers new house. The film is so slick and breezy that its easy to ignore the true sadness of the film, which is that all of Franks pursuits are driven by the desire to rebuild his family. Up until he sees his step-sister at that window he still thinks that if he can get back everything that the IRS took from his dad everything will go back to normal.

And the cinematography! The shot of Frank overexposed in the kitchen sunlight as the child custody guy says "come on into the next room", I love. Also the scenes were Frank shows up at the airport to pick up Brenda are gorgeous (not just because of the wet floor), I particularly loved the design of one  slow-mo shot...


Frank see's Brenda is wired and drives away.         Frank looks right over to Brenda


The camera whip pans.

Frank passes through the foreground.