Guillermo del Toro names the “perfectly engineered” Steven Spielberg movie
With some of the most vibrant and fantastical worlds in the realms of contemporary cinema and films that blend the motifs of fantasy, horror, drama, mythology and fairy tale, Guillermo del Toro has done it all. He has established himself as one of the industry’s most enduring icons and has crafted a legacy for himself as a visionary of the medium.
From the dark hopefulness of Pan’s Labyrinth to the heartwarming drama of The Shape of Water to the kaiju homage in Pacific Rim, del Toro has always proven himself to be one step ahead of the game. he has delivered deep and magical visions of his imagination onto the big screen.
As one of the most esteemed directors of his generation, del Toro has always had his ear on the ground of cinema’s rich history and not only loves the great works of film but also has an admiration for some of the medium’s more underrated works. Responding to writer Ben David Grabinski on Twitter, del Toro once spoke of his love for Steven Spielberg’s 2002 biographical crime comedy-drama Catch Me If You Can.
“I concur,” del Toro wrote. “Prodigious, nimble camera/actor staging. Out Donen’s [sic] Stanley Donen (or Minelli or Wellman) and has at heart a wonderful set of performances and a touching, delicate personal story disguised as a romp. I watch it every year at least once.”
Catch Me If You Can saw Leonardo DiCaprio play Frank Abagnale Jr, the former convicted felon who claimed to have performed a series of cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot and several other guises. Tom Hanks plays the FBI agent sent to track him down and arrest him, while the film also features the likes of Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen and Amy Adams.
Going on to explain Spielberg’s influences on the movie, del Toro noted, “His camera is incredibly fluid – like Donen or Wellman and his colour scheme and shots can also recall Minelli or Donen. Some Came Running or Funny Face or Charade. When I watch some pre-Code Wellman, like Another Man’s Woman and marvel at how fluid his camera work is – how inventive. Spielberg idolised Curtiz, Wyler, and I would think Wellman.”
Del Toro signed off on his thoughts of Catch Me If You Can, “It’s perfectly engineered. Spielberg is the modern master of the 1-3 minute single shot. Precision work. Leonardo arrives from school, and her mother is in the bedroom with the Rotary Club guy (a beautiful master), and then with minimal coverage he completes the scene.”
Check out the trailer for Catch Me If You Can below.
