Catch Me If You Can (2002)

The opening credits of Catch Me If You Can are so stylish they make the next 141 minutes work extra hard to keep up. Mostly they do. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank like a kid wearing his dad’s confidence like a coat that doesn’t fit yet, forging checks and strolling through airports as a fake pilot. Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty is a walking dad joke with a badge, and the Christmas phone calls between the two of them are the heart of the movie. Christopher Walken quietly breaks your heart as a father who keeps losing. The weak spot is the back end, which slows way down once the cat and mouse stops being fun. It’s also based on a memoir by a guy whose whole job was lying, so keep a grain of salt handy. An 8.3 because it’s the breeziest Spielberg movie there is, and 1.27 million IMDb ratings agree it holds up. $806 says you practice a fake signature on a napkin tonight and immediately feel like a criminal.

What works: DiCaprio and Hanks play a great game of cat and mouse, and Christopher Walken gives the movie real sadness underneath all the style.

What doesn’t: At 141 minutes it runs long, and the final act loses steam once the chase settles into something calmer.

Who it’s for: Anyone who loves a charming con artist story and a great sixties look, from the suits to the airports.