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Christmas Day movie openings
[Photo: DreamWorks Pictures]
‘Catch Me if You Can’
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By Times staff
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 26, 2002
Reel entertainment
Catch Me If You Can (PG-13) -- Leonardo DiCaprio's Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of a smooth criminal is the highlight of Steven Spielberg's latest film, a light-footed change of pace from our most socially conscious filmmaker.
Nothing is at stake for Spielberg here except entertaining the audience, and despite its pacing flaws, the movie succeeds. The director hasn't worked with this much imprecision in years and he seems to welcome that freedom. Catch Me If You Can is a lark that will feel like a letdown to some viewers and a pleasant holiday timewaster to others.
DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr. who, by age 19, cashed millions of dollars in bogus checks while posing as a variety of professionals. He's a rogue, but DiCaprio locates the kid underneath the grown-up disguises, making every scam as surprising to Frank as they are to the victims when they realize what happened. By toning down his brood, DiCaprio creates his best character since What's Eating Gilbert Grape.
Tom Hanks co-stars as an FBI agent on Frank's trail, but the role isn't worth his talent. On the other hand, Christopher Walken makes the most of his role as Frank's father, giving us an indication of where the son's craftiness came from. And, for that matter, his loneliness as Spielberg delves into familiar territory of divorce for Frank's motivation to steal.
Catch Me If You Can is about a half-hour too long and stalls so long on some scams that Spielberg must still rush to get everything done in the final reel. But it's a shiny gag gift from a filmmaker who didn't feel like shopping around too much this season. B
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[Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures]
‘Antwone Fisher’
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Antwone Fisher (PG-13) -- Hollywood formulas don't come more polished than the directing debut of Denzel Washington, who has pulled up his share of predictable films by the bootstraps.
On the surface, Antwone Fisher sounds like a lot of other movies forcing angry/sad/pathetic characters to confront their psychological problems. Since this story has a distinctly African-American theme, it could be dished off as The Fresh Prince of Tides. Washington invests more care into the drama, starting with the startling discovery of Derek Luke to play the title role.
Luke is wonderful as Antwone, a Navy seaman whose violent outburst leads to evaluative sessions with the base psychologist (Washington). At first Antwone is defiantly silent but as he opens up, a shocking tale of childhood abuse and neglect comes into focus, toned down by Washington in flashbacks. Meanwhile, the adult Antwone deals with his first crush on a woman (Joy Bryant) and a growing dependence on the good doctor's help.
Antwone Fisher seems like a downer but only for a while. The script, penned by the real-life Fisher from his autobiography, continually offers glimmers of hope. Luke's charisma never wanes, even in his most sullen moments. Washington steps back and lets the young lion roar, a wise decision for any director hiring the guy in the future. Luke is the real deal.
I've seen this movie twice and cried both times, partly because of Antwone's final redemption and partly because of the pristine simplicity of Washington's decisions about how to tell the story. Antwone Fisher is the kind of movie Hollywood often makes and seldom gets this right. A-
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Rabbit-Proof Fence (PG) -- Director Phillip Noyce takes viewers on an extraordinary journey through Australia in 1931, when the government could legally steal mixed-race Aborigine children from their families. Kenneth Branagh plays A.O. Neville, the politico behind those racist policies, but the real stars are three little girls and a vast Outback desert.
Fourteen-year-old Molly (Everlyn Sampi), her 8-year-old sister Daisy (Tianna Sansbury) and 10-year-old cousin Gracie (Laura Monaghan) are taken into custody because their fathers were white and transported to a reform school. Christianity is drummed into them along with their destiny to become servants and laborers. The girls escape, beginning a 1,200-mile trek on foot to find their homes. The title refers to the girls' only mapping device, a wire fence cutting the continent in two in order to keep rabbits from destroying crops.
Noyce captures the flavor of a culture rarely seen on film, and a not-so-long-ago past that seems inhuman. I wasn't aware that the story is true until the final minute, when Noyce adds a Schindler's List-style touch to the finale. Richly filmed and propelled by Peter Gabriel's evocative score, Rabbit-Proof Fence is a must-see for moviegoers with art-house tastes. A-
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The Lion King (G) -- You say you didn't get tickets to the stage version of The Lion King now playing at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center? Well, hakuna matata, my friends. (It means "no worries," for anyone who doesn't remember the song.)
Disney's 1994 animated classic has been expanded to IMAX sight and sound proportions, creating a wonderful family film opportunity for the holidays. Both local IMAX venues -- Channelside Cinemas and the Museum of Science and Industry's IMAX Dome Theater -- are showing the film.
Unlike the previous IMAX version of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King doesn't include any previously unseen footage. What you saw is what you'll get, only larger and louder than ever before.
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Pinocchio (G) -- Roberto Benigni co-wrote, directs and stars in this version of the classic tale, which was scheduled to open Christmas Day. His wife, Nicoletta Braschi, co-stars as the Blue Fairy. The film was not made available for review.
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