Catch Me If You Can [SOUNDTRACK]

John Williams

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 10, 2002)
• Original Release Date: December 25, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Dreamworks
• ASIN: B00007BKUE
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,360 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Steven Spielberg veered from the futuristic sci-fi flirtations of A.I. and Minority Report with this brisk, stylish period take on the career of teen con-man extraordinaire Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his dogged G-man pursuer/de facto extended family member Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). As always, the director's musical collaborator is John Williams, and the scoring legend uses the occasion of their 20th collaboration as a rewarding musical journey back to the days when he was known as Johnny Williams, ambitious young pianist for Henry Mancini on such early jazz scores as Peter Gunn. Informed by a half-century of subsequent achievement, Williams's return to the jazz idiom of his youth yields a smart, nervous score that evokes more than mere nostalgia. But with Dan Higgins's moody sax often leading the way, the veteran composer's work here seems more evocative reinvention than revisitation, yet another tribute to his uncanny ability to make any idiom his own. A handful of pop standards (including Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me," Getz and Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema," "The Christmas Song" by Nat "King" Cole) deftly color both period and plot, but, as always, it's Williams who provides Spielberg's masterful imagery with its musical life's blood. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Score, December 15, 2002

By	Peter Kline (Coral Springs, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Williams goes back to his roots. In the early 50s he issued a bunch of albums conducting a big band. Yes, he arranged them and played piano. This jazzy and fun score reminds one of the best of Henry Mancini. Add standards by Nat Cole, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland among others and this CD perfectly catches the feeling of the time period that the film takes place in. Williams' best score in a long time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John Williams and his ever changing music, December 30, 2002

By	Pamela K Scott (Columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This score, like most of John William's music, is strickingly different than the ones before. William's ability to dabble in different musical forms is decidedly one of his greatest strengths, along with his ability to follow the pace of the movie. If you happen to simply be a fan of William's, I think you'll enjoy this bit. It's very light, entertaining, and enjoyable. A very happy bit, indeed. Don't expect it to be like Star Wars, but expect to enjoy it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, December 15, 2002

By	Peter Spalding (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I wasn't planning on buying this CD, but after having seen the movie, I couldn't resist. It's a really catchy score, and I really like its jazz sounds. It's very different from most of the stuff that Williams has done. It does get repetitive at times, so I understand how some people might not like it, and it's certainly not as memorable as, say, "Star Wars" or "Jurassic Park". But then again, it's not supposed to be.