WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
For this weekend’s second film offering, we go back to the mainstream world and center in on one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars starring alongside one of the newest faces in the business. Here is the review of the drama from Warner Brother’s Pictures, “Focus”.
Helmed by the directing/writing/producing duo of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (“I Love You Phillip Morris“, “Crazy, Stupid, Love“), the film centers on professional con artist Nicky (Will Smith) who we find has a habit of living large by utilizing a team of fellow con-artists, headed by friends Horst (Brennan Brown) & Farhad (Adrian Martinez), on smaller jobs but higher volume of items taken. A veteran of the grifting game, a botched attempt by an amateur, Jess (Margot Robbie), and her partner brings the two into each other’s circle. Jess, wanting to be a part of the bigger game, convinces an initially hesitant Nicky to teach her the trade craft, which he then does with deft skill and charm. Ultimately, she is a full part of the team, having proven amazing aptitude and more than a minor involvement with her mentor. However, as Jess learns more and more how deep the game can go and the lengths and strategies Nicky uses to get what he wants, the pair end up apart, then together again in a con involving race car owner Garriga (Rodrigo Santoro), who wants to ruin his main competition, another owner named McEwen (Robert Taylor). As the con runs its course, events spiral out of control as Nicky tries to make it a score to remember, but in doing so, risks the lives of himself and Jess, showing how sometimes, the game can ruin its players.
Films of this subject matter/theme have, like so many other genres, been done before, some better, some worse. This reviewer would put “Focus” in the “some better” category as a whole, though it is not Will Smith’s best work. But, that said, the movie moves along with its two lead stars smoothly and cleanly enough, keeping the direction straight forward while still managing to throw in some very nice twists at key moments of the character’s and story’s development. Smith can pull this kind of roll off well, due to that ability to play cocky, slick, suave types with a heart believably enough. Here is no exception, but it is helped along by his partner in crime, played with an innocent charm and intelligent wit by the beautiful Robbie, who successfully gives us a mix of sexy, vulnerable, and smart for Jess and her desire to become a bigger name in the con-artist world while trying to figure out for sure if she can actually trust the man she loves. Veteran character actor Gerald McRaney brings some satisfying menace as a henchman with a secret, and Martinez’s Farhad, while often crude, was actually quite a scene-stealer. Locations such as New Orleans and Buenos Aires as backdrops gives the scenery the needed sense of “cool” as does the film’s soundtrack. There is a copious amount of language throughout the film, so some viewers may need to be aware of that content-wise. Overall, “Focus” delivered what this reviewer expected: a solidly paced, entertaining story with good performances and some fun twists.
As always, this is for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
