Movie Advent Calendar #13 – Catch Me If You Can

“I’ll tell you what I am sure of. You’re going to get caught. One way or another. It’s a mathematical fact. It– It’s like Vegas, the House always wins.”

Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can

In 2012 I did a cinematic advent calendar of twenty four films. These were films that I really liked and have enjoyed at the cinema. This year on a similar theme I will be posting a movie advent calendar of twenty four movies.

I have really enjoyed virtually everything Tom Hanks has done, I have seen most of his films and there are a fair few in this movie advent calendar and there was a few in the cinematic advent calendar I did in 2012. There are a few films of his I haven’t see, so not too obsessive! For example, I’ve not seen him in Castaway. It’s probably not too surprising to find though I did quite enjoy Catch Me If You Can.

I didn’t see Catch Me If You Can at the cinema, it was something I eventually saw, well actually I can’t remember. I don’t have it on DVD, so maybe this was a film I saw on the television and then watched again another time on a streaming service.

Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 biographical crime drama film directed by Stephen Spielberg that tells the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), a young con artist who successfully poses as a doctor, lawyer, and pilot in the 1960s. The film also stars Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent tasked with tracking down Abagnale.

One of the standout elements of the film is its strong performances. DiCaprio and Hanks are both excellent in their roles, with DiCaprio in particular delivering a charismatic and engaging performance as the charming and cunning Abagnale.

The supporting cast is also strong, with Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen giving standout performances.

The film is also beautifully shot, with a vibrant and colorful visual style that perfectly captures the glitz and glamour of the 1960s. I think the film really captures the look and feel of the 1960s. The script, by Jeff Nathanson, is also clever and well-written, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience engaged.

I enjoyed the BBC’s Hustle series about con artists, and this film which is on a similar topic did catch my eye (as well as the fact it starred Tom Hanks).

Overall, Catch Me If You Can is a highly entertaining and well-made film that is worth watching for the performances alone. It may not be the deepest or most thought-provoking film, but it is definitely a fun ride.

Get Catch Me If You Can at Amazon.

Movie Advent Calendar #01 – Inception

“So… how did we end up at this restaurant?”

In 2011 I did a musical advent calendar that I posted to Google+ (remember that) and a final summary on this blog.

In 2012 I did a cinematic advent calendar of twenty four films. These were films that I really liked and have enjoyed at the cinema.

In 2019 I did a televisual advent calendar of twenty four television programmes. These were television programmes that I really liked and have enjoyed watching.

This year on a similar theme I will be posting a movie advent calendar of twenty four movies. It is in no particular order and I make no apologies for the movies that I am blogging about. These movies have either made me think, I have enjoyed or have had some impact on me. I should point out that these do not replace those in the cinematic advent calendar, these are additions to that list.

Inception came out in 2010 and is a science fiction film directed by Christopher Nolan. I didn’t go and see Inception at the cinema, it was a film I got on Blu-Ray. It was a film that I had read about, and received the disk as a present. I think though upon reflection this would have been an impressive cinematic experience to see the film on the big screen.

This was a multi-layered film both figuratively and literally. I loved the concept of shared dreaming and infiltrating those dreams, and adding layers of dreams.

I liked the visual effects, which were visually stunning, but also very clever. I also liked how much of the film was set in Paris, and that dream sequence in Paris was highly effective.

The effects across the film are excellent and are done really well.

From an acting perspective I think it is one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best films and Tom Hardy plays his part well too. The ensemble cast is excellent as well.

It is one of those films I have watched a few times and have enjoyed each viewing. I actually think you need to watch it a second time just to work out exactly what is going on (a bit like Tenet in that respect).

Will we ever have the shared dreaming technology we see in the film? Who knows!

Get Inception at Amazon.