How long has it been since Will Smith headlined a movie worth a damn? In fact, his stock has plummeted so much so that the only real reason I saw this film in the first place was to see what Margot Robbie was up to (as I believe she is a true rising star)
and because "Focus" was the subject of a podcast I'd been invited to participate on. The last thing I expected was to be absolutely blindsided by how fun this movie actually was.
Synopsis: A female pickpocket (Robbie) is recruited by the head of a con-man empire (Smith) to join his "crew" in a series of well choreographed and highly elaborate heists.
Sounds like a "fun little" "Ocean's Eleven"-type film, right? Well, I'll say it again: "Focus" was a lot of fun. That said, this "fun little" movie could have been considered one of Will Smith's best, if not more memorable films, if not for three aspects which were treated rather clumsily: 1.While there were sequences in this I absolutely loved (the gambling sequence during a football game, the car crash, etc.) that were manufactured solely to make audiences squirm in their seats in anticipation, directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (I Love You Phillip Morris) curiously allow most of this film to be shot in a way that could only be described as "flat", during points when what I was expecting was the height of slick camera movement. I mean, for the amount of actual pick-pocketing on screen, the camera (for the most part) stays pretty stagnant.
2.And I shall tread cautiously here, but if you know me then you know that I'm all about interracial relationships. I didn't even want to go there, but I say this to (in a way) head anybody reading this off at the pass when I say: Will Smith and Margot Robbie look more than a little odd together. I don't know if it's the age difference or what, but while there was a semblance of chemistry between the two leads, I never got past the fact that as an on screen couple the two were distractingly mis-paired.
3.Lastly, the ending. All I'll say is that while well earned and well explained, it was still super awkward to sit through, simply due to the piles of explanatory information stuffed into a final three minute span of dialogue.
Final Thought: Though I'm still recommending people see "Focus" and I will be the first to admit that its flaws are nit-picky at best; with all the good that comes out of this film (Will Smith's performance, the story itself, those standout action sequences) "Focus" will ultimately be forgotten because it is nothing more than a "fun little" movie, that had the potential to be more. What a shame.
Synopsis: A female pickpocket (Robbie) is recruited by the head of a con-man empire (Smith) to join his "crew" in a series of well choreographed and highly elaborate heists.
Sounds like a "fun little" "Ocean's Eleven"-type film, right? Well, I'll say it again: "Focus" was a lot of fun. That said, this "fun little" movie could have been considered one of Will Smith's best, if not more memorable films, if not for three aspects which were treated rather clumsily: 1.While there were sequences in this I absolutely loved (the gambling sequence during a football game, the car crash, etc.) that were manufactured solely to make audiences squirm in their seats in anticipation, directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (I Love You Phillip Morris) curiously allow most of this film to be shot in a way that could only be described as "flat", during points when what I was expecting was the height of slick camera movement. I mean, for the amount of actual pick-pocketing on screen, the camera (for the most part) stays pretty stagnant.
2.And I shall tread cautiously here, but if you know me then you know that I'm all about interracial relationships. I didn't even want to go there, but I say this to (in a way) head anybody reading this off at the pass when I say: Will Smith and Margot Robbie look more than a little odd together. I don't know if it's the age difference or what, but while there was a semblance of chemistry between the two leads, I never got past the fact that as an on screen couple the two were distractingly mis-paired.
3.Lastly, the ending. All I'll say is that while well earned and well explained, it was still super awkward to sit through, simply due to the piles of explanatory information stuffed into a final three minute span of dialogue.
Final Thought: Though I'm still recommending people see "Focus" and I will be the first to admit that its flaws are nit-picky at best; with all the good that comes out of this film (Will Smith's performance, the story itself, those standout action sequences) "Focus" will ultimately be forgotten because it is nothing more than a "fun little" movie, that had the potential to be more. What a shame.