Catch Me If You Can

I have loved this film since the day I saw it in the theater. It's so clever and it just has that "feel" to it. You know I mean? Like, How awesome would it be to jet set the world for free when you are 17? Frank Abignale, Jr (DiCaprio) is the most notorious  fraud case in US History. This is his story. He was an upset teenager when he floated his first check to get some cash he didn't have. It was the 1960's, so banks were a lot more trusting of the US citizens. Frank just realized he got money for nothing, and eventually he does get chicks for free. In the film Christopher Walken plays his Father and their relationship is special. The impending split of his parents is what sends Frank into a spiral. I was a little upset by the fact that in real life Frank's Father wasn't really around all that much. Their on screen story is written so well, I wanted it to be true. Frank has been jetting around the world as an airline pilot, though he never went to flight school. He merely shows an unnatural amount of confidence and everyone believes he is who he says he is. This is not necessarily what gets him in trouble. It's the fact that he forges check from Pan Am airline, so he has become a thief. It was a learning curve for him, but eventually he was perfect. When he realized the amount of respect he received when wearing that uniform, he never wanted to take it off. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks in one of my favorite roles) is the FBI agent in charge of the check fraud division. Frank gets to the top of his "to arrest" list rather quickly. The amount he steals puts him on the radar, but it's tough for the FBI because, A: They don't know his name; B: They don't know what he looks like; and C: he flies wherever he wants to at any given time. Frank drags Carl along for a while in an intense game of cat and mouse. Frank is one of the smartest kids ever. This goes from being another case for Carl, to being a career maker. Priority #1. Things get hot for Frank, so he lays low. He has enough money, so he needs a change of pace. Doctor, he thinks, I'll be a Doctor. I'm 18, how hard could it be? Well, for a professional forger, not that hard at all. He forges his degrees, and credentials that he is hired on the spot as the attending night supervisor for the ER. A glorifies babysitter if you will, but for someone will no formal training, I don't think he would have wanted to dig right into setting a broken bone. That's where he meets his soon to be fiance'. Played by an extremely young Amy Adams, she is the daughter of an extremely wealthy attorney played by Martin Sheen. Frank tries to make a good impression, so he acts like he is also an attorney. He asks Roger (Sheen) where he can take the BAR exam in Louisiana, and somehow he passes the test and officially becomes assistant district attorney. What is most impressive of his story is he did all this stuff, plus cashed almost 4 million dollars in fraudulent checks all before he even turned 19 years of age. Carl will not stop, but neither will Frank. If you missed this Bio Pic, you have missed out. This is on that short list of films I cannot pass up if I see it on. I have tried to get A-Bomb to watch this for years, to which he states, "I have NO desire!!!" Such animosity. Look at all those exclamation points. If for no other reason to watch it, it has one of the funniest jokes ever. Carl Hanratty says it, and it starts like this: KNOCK, KNOCK.

NBM rates Catch Me If You Can - Phenomenal 

Buy IT!!!