The Con Is On: Review of Focus

Focus

Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

By Alex Watson

Glen Ficarra and John Requa's movie Focus is a very slick and enticing affair which has its fair share of thrills and spills. But despite some neat trickery and some assured performances, the end result is doesn't quite stand out. There is a shiny and very cute feel to the way the art of confidence scams are portrayed, but it cannot escape a rather predictable feel to later events. But with Will Smith on board, everything always appears very cool indeed. 

Nicky Spurgeon (Will Smith) is a expert con artist who reluctantly takes Jess (Margot Robbie), a rookie pick pocket under his wing and teaches her the art of the game. But after they part ways, years later they both find themselves on different sides of the same con against a billionaire racing team owner Garriga (Rodrigo Santoro) where all secrets and feelings must be put aside. One wrong step from either could spell disaster.

Ficarra and Requa deserve credit for making Focus appear to be such an effortlessly smooth picture. As each part of the story easily slips into the next it makes this out to be a glossier affair than it appears. There are some moments that truly spark picture into life, such a scene set during a big game at the New Orleans Superdome, where Nicky goes head to head with big gambling Asian billionaire (BD Wong). In this sequence there is a tense and chilly atmosphere- but it pays off big time with a clever aftermath! Try not to laugh at the number 55 for hours afterwards!

As a main character, Nicky is one that we are drawn to quickly as he is everything a con man should be- suave, sophisticated and possesses a crafty use for words. But in later events, his character becomes harder to warm to as everything just seems to come to him so easily. There is a sweet setup as he meets Jess during a botched con on her side and from here he hilarious proceeds to demonstrate the more effective ways to pick pocket. Jess is the one we come out rooting for because she is routinely pushed into harms way and demonstrates a great resolve.

The central story is nothing really new and disappointingly the movie's big reveals are obvious than they want to appear. As a villian, Garriga lacks any real threat, but his number two man Owens (Gerald McRaney) is one of Focus' more interesting characters and in one scene he demonstrate his inquisitive and dangerous persona to a panicked and baffled Nicky to hilarious effect. Moments in this film give the impression this could have been a more memorable affair in the right hands.

However the chemistry between Will Smith and Margot Robbie is a palpable one. Smith gives the role his all and as normal comes away as looking like one cool dude. But this isn't a role that really tests his abilities and feels second nature to him these days. Margot Robbie comes away as the breakaway star and she invests the role of Jess with a lot more guts than many would have expected. After her star turn in the Wolf of Wall Street, the former Neighbours star is deservedly turning head in Hollywood for all the right reasons. In 2016, these two will once reunite for the Suicide Squad film- if it is anything like this then we have winner on our hands!

In Focus, Ficarra and Requa have produced a solidly made film that will not provide a decent nights entertainment, but unlike its predecessors I am not sure whether this one will stick in the memory for long afterwards.