Loophole: Catch Me if You Can (2002)

     After reading a blog article, I decided to watch the movie Catch Me if You Can directed by Steven Spielberg . It stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks as both lead roles which says a lot about the quality of this film.  Before delving into what I thought of the movie, here’s a quick synopsis.

Frank Abagnale, Jr. as a fake co-pilot

     Catch Me if You Can is based on true story about Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo Di Caprio) a teen who adores his mother and idolizes his father. There came the time when his parents divorced and he had to make a decision over which parent takes custody of him. A pretty hard to deal situation that a lot of teens face right? Yet he decides to deal with this matter in an unusual way: by running away from home, defrauding bank check, taking on different identities. He has been accused of being a con man and defrauding checks worth 5 million dollars before the age of 19. Somehow he’s found the loophole in the bank’s system. It is FBI detective Hanratty’s  (Tom Hanks) job to catch Abagnale and reduce the damage.

detective Hanratty

     Before watching this film, I had no inkling about the protocol of bank checks. I am happy to say that I’ve been thoroughly illuminated regarding the improvements in bank procedures and how Abagnale managed to find the loophole in the system. Moving on, what’s clear about this film is that it glorifies the criminal act that Abagnale has done. Granted that it’s impressive, the movie makes it seem like everything for Abagnale is fabulous and jet set. Even if it’s based on a true story, I doubt that it’s as fancy as it seems. A movie that seems to inspire ingenuity to accomplish the incredible (albeit questionable and illegal)feats I feel that it has been pushed too far to make it a bit fictional (perhaps glamor is the penchant for Hollywood?). I guess Abagnale was able to escape karma since he basically got away with what he’s done AND got paid for his skills. Catch Me if You Can is clearly movie about a man who can escape consequences with barely a scratch. The plot is exhilarating and Abagnale is quite the charmer which has been played by Dicaprio up to par.

     I have to admit sometimes the paranoid scheming me wants thinks there is a way to find the loophole in the institution somewhere and get the easy way out.  Catch Me if You Can is a movie which we can hold as an inspiration but doubt that we can follow as an example unless you’re crafty enough to do a con. A biography perhaps glamorized but it worked somehow to capture the attention of the audience.