Focus (2015) | Movie Review

Focus stars Will Smith as Nicky, a professional grifter and con man of extreme skill, a man who spends every minute of his life looking for the next lift. After witnessing Jess (Margot Robbie) firsthand, and haphazardly, attempting to swindle the swindler, Nicky agrees to take Jess under his wing. A criminal intern, if you will.

The beauty of a con or heist film is going into the movie with as little information as possible, to determine if you can figure it all out before the mark knows what hit him. In the spirit of that, there will be little more I will explain on the specific plot of Focus. The filmmakers, for once, have done a great job keeping the details of the plot out of the advertising, which will make for a much more entertaining experience as you weave in and out of Nicky and Jess’ world of grift and grab.

Focus wants to be several things, most prevalent is the romance that blossoms between Nicky and Jess. How can two people with the moral scruples of a lifetime politician ever survive the tortures of love? If you think you and your significant other have trust issues, imagine if you both robbed innocent people for a living? It makes situations a bit more complicated.

One of the problems Focus has is this very nature of wanting to be too many things. As the film progresses, even as the cons become more and more elaborate, it seems to be unsure of exactly what kind of film it wants to be. Is it a romance with a criminal backdrop? Or is it ultimately a con film with the love angle used as nothing more than a diversion to an unsuspecting audience?

Ultimately, I saw the film’s plot as a bit meandering and random. While every single con was thrilling and the romance completely works thanks to the chemistry of the two leads, it felt like vignettes of a film as opposed to a film structured in the classical sense. We all know it is enjoyable to not know exactly where a film is headed, but when it is over, if the pieces do not line up perfectly (as the ‘hotel’ scene does not for me), it becomes a minor exercise in madness. Thankfully, Focus has two of the most charismatic actors working today to stack the deck the way the film deserves.

When I think of an actor that could verbally swindle me out of millions due to his smooth-talking charm and effortless wit, I think of Will Smith. Sure, he made a misstep with After Earth, but Smith has always been a movie star in the truest sense of the word. The man shows up on screen, flashes that Big Willy smile, and any past mistakes are instantly forgiven. He glides in and out of every scene like the silk shirt wearing shark he is, catching everyone in, as well as watching, the film off-guard. Regardless of what material Smith is playing with, he can salvage just about any property by sheer force of Will.

Margot Robbie. This is an actress we only know from The Wolf of Wall Street. A beautiful woman absolutely, yet Robbie is much more than just a pretty face. This is an actress seemingly born to be a movie star. Not since Jennifer Lawrence emerged on the scene have I witnessed an actress with such a capacity to captivate the camera lens at her every whim. As Jess, Robbie allows herself to be both vulnerable and opportunistic, and succeeds at both marvelously. She is an actress to watch. You will also be treated to short yet entertaining performances by Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, and Robert Taylor (Longmire fans, you are in for a treat), but make no mistake: this film is almost strictly revolving around Nicky and Jess.

While directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa cleverly present their script as sleekly as possible, the plot is just too wandering to become any sort of instant classic as Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief or Ocean’s Eleven.  Still, the screen domination exhibited by icon Smith and newcomer Robbie do more than enough to hold our Focus.

Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, Robert Taylor
Written by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Directed by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider