Steven Spielberg is one of the most decorated directors of all time. Having explored almost all the genres of film making, the critics and the fans alike consider him to be the true king of cinema. All of his movies have been explosive at the box office and due to this, people have forgotten some of his classic hits. One such movie is "Catch me if you can" (and also Munich).
1. Story & Screenplay
Jeff Nathanson is one of the most underrated screenwriters of all time. He has been the mastermind behind many mainstream hits but this movie and "the terminal" (also a Spielberg hit) are by far his best work. the screenplay is very fluid and easy to follow. It is not twisted or filled with plot twists but every page/minute of it is entertaining. Instead of simply highlighting one of Frank Abagnale's best crimes, the writer has shown the gradual change in his character and his attitude throughout the years while maintaining the same "Tom & Jerry chase" vibe to it. At the end of the day, Jeff Nathanson and Spielberg have made the perfect biographical movie without losing any of its entertainment value, which many have failed to do so.
2. Cast
One of the best veteran actors starring beside one of the best up and coming actors is the takeaway of this movie. The performances delivered by Tom Hanks and Leonardo Di Caprio were not "oscar worthy" but no other contemporary would have done them better. They both were so fluent in the script that it felt that they were tailor-made for their respective roles. It could be easily said that they did justice to the role by achieving a perfect equilibrium between comedy and sobriety. Moreover, the "ground to earth" performance by Christopher Walken also felt very organic. He is one of the "lesser" talked actors in the movie but his presence leaves an impact whenever he is on screen.
3. Editing & Music
One of the main reasons behind the smoothness of this movie is the editing. The story and screenplay laid the foundation of free-flowing scenes that are entertaining to watch but it is the editing process that has stitched those free-flowing scenes into one entertaining flick. Another fact which ABSOLUTELY NOONE talks about is that the movie's opening sequence is by far one of the most creative and beautiful looking credit scenes of ALL TIME! The animation approach perfectly sets the tone of the movie before the live-action footage even begins. The music is not a plus point of the movie and it is quite understandable. There was not much scope for music and overdoing this aspect would have made it "cringy". THAT'S HOW PERFECT SPIELBERG IS.
4. Direction
The reason why the direction of the movie is the last aspect to be talked about because there is nothing much to really talk about. Spielberg's movies are raw & organic and yet they are literally perfect. Personally, I am not a Spielberg fan but no one (including myself) can deny he is the best of them all. The cast, the screenplay, and the editing are just individual aspects of a film but there is something about the movie that is special. It is very organic and fun to watch (the overall chemistry). It is such a casual movie that you don't even need a reason to watch it. It can be watched with parents, with friends, with your partner, with your dog, in an academic setting, during a trip and the list goes on and on.
I would recommend this movie to everyone because of its casual nature. You do not have to be a "serious film enthusiast" to enjoy it. It is one of the most underrated Spielberg flicks and just so you know, it was the highest-grossing movie of that year (2002).
Available on Netflix (IN) & Amazon Prime Video (IN).