6/10

Will Smith’s welcome home party to the roles that made him at one time the biggest star in Hollywood. Nicky (Will Smith) is an experienced con artist who has created a way of life from the unsuspecting victims he robs, every day. When Nicky meets Jess (Margot Robbie), he takes her under his wing because of a will to learn, and an instant attraction that he has for the blonde bombshell. These feelings could mean the difference between life and death, as Nicky is set up for the biggest payday of his career scaming an Indy 500 race. Director John Requa’s (Crazy Stupid Love) latest film which clocks in at 98 minutes, is a road filled with twists and turns that is guaranteed to overwhelm the viewer by closing credits. The final ten minutes of the film created a huge hole not only in the logic of the scams that Nicky has planted, but in the suspense balloon that builds and builds until it hits a very anti-climatic pop. It’s no surprise that a film about the tricks and trades of the con world comes with a huge suspension of disbelief, but “Focus” makes 2012’s “Now You See Me” look like a real life biopic. The main problem comes in the explanations in the scams themselves. Nicky explains to Jess (as well as the audience) that a big scam comes in getting someone’s focus and keeping it. Nicky adds that people can’t possibly multi task with their brains at one time, so these tricks seem easy as pie. Wallets are one thing, but when the characters are stealing double snapped watches, the film’s believability took a back seat for me. I honestly think that the problem is that the movie does try to explain itself too much. By showing the audience the sizzle, we don’t always have to know how the steak is made. When it starts explaining itself, that’s when the holes are miles deep. So why the 6/10 rating? The film is carried by two great lead performances that showcases an intimate chemistry from the future Suicide Squad stars. The film is very old school in it’s approach, in that it’s largely following the romantic spark between the film’s two stars in a way that’s reminiscent of 60’s heist/caper flicks. Robbie is definitely given more to do than her cardboard role in 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”, and as Jess the movie’s focus shifts to our ability (as well as Nicky’s) to trust her. She becomes the biggest part to the movie, even if the ending totally forgets that setup. Smith is playing easily his best role in ten years, and that’s because the freedom the script gave for him to flex a charm that is second to none. You couldn’t picture anyone other than Smith playing this role, and it’s a stamp that leaves a shadow bigger than the lasting positive impression the film gave me. “Focus” is also very well shot, with cinematography reminiscent of a director who has done his homework in Barry Sonnenfield films. The stylish neon nightlife scenes of France are very eye appealing, and shed a mystic light on the wrongdoings of our protagonists. The score has a lot of 60’s Rat Pack, combined with a soft tiptoe across the dance floor of songs that play during any tango. There are a lot of twists in the movie. Some predictable, and some not. I think that the number of them got the audience opening their minds up more to possibilities, and that’s not good in a film that is reaching for the shock and awe. “Focus” isn’t as appealing as it’s trailer leads you to believe, but it is a fun time that fans of Smith will praise to keep him away from his melodramatic roles of the past decade. Like it’s set rules, it shows us something going on in one hand, while doing something completely different in another. The end result like any con or magic trick, isn’t as appealing once you know how it works. I would wait for DVD on this one.