Focus is the newest Will Smith movie, and with his recent track record many moviegoers will likely stay away from this film. However, Focus is actually a fun film with many twists and turns. The acting is excellent, and the movie is an overall joy, though it is not perfect by any means. The following is my review of Focus.
The film was written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who are known for writing such films as Bad Santa and I Love You Phillip Morris. The film follows master conman Nicky(Will Smith) as he plans on making some big money conning at an American Football event similar to the Super Bowl(the term Super Bowl nor any NFL trademarks are actually used in the film). Along the way to this big event he runs into Jess(Margot Robbie), and she desperately wants in on this big con job Nicky has planned. As I mentioned above this film has some excellent twists and turns, so I really don't want to get into deep details of the story. The film continues over the course of the next few years, ending with a really good climax. Ficarra and Requa deliver a good story, but it does have it's issues. For example some of the twists are so absurd that you wonder if they simply pulled them out while shooting the ending. It seems thrown together rather loosely. Without the proper buildup the film had, this film would have fallen at or below an average film. Overall though Ficarra and Requa do a good job on this film, and most should enjoy this story.
The film was also directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Both of these directors worked in the past on films like I Love You Phillip Morris and Crazy, Stupid, Love. The film is not some big action film like many of the films Will Smith tends to do. Though it does interject some much needed comedy, and Smith is excellent at delivering this in that aspect. The film is shot wonderfully and looks amazing on the big scene, though I can't honestly say that there is a wow moment that makes this a must see in theaters. The acting is also another major aspect that this film excels at. Will Smith and Margot Robbie work fabulously together, and their chemistry only grows throughout the film. This is a good sign for their upcoming film they are working together on. Anyway, even the secondary actors like Brennan Brown, BD Wong, Gerald McRaney, and Adrian Martinez are such a joy to watch, and I would have to say BD Wong steals the show in his big scene of the film. So really watch out for that one. The directors really did a fabulous job with these talented actors, and they really deserve much credit in that aspect. Overall Ficarra and Requa do a fabulous job in the directing department, and really makes me look forward to their future outings as directors.
The film was composed by Nick Urata who worked with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa in the past on Crazy, Stupid, Love and more recently worked on the 2014 film Paddington. His work on this film is not that impressive at all. It seems like a go through the motions type of score. Urata's score doesn't add much depth at all to the film, and since I'm someone who really enjoys the score aspect of a film, this is a big disappointment here. I cannot honestly say the score was bad or awful, but it was average at best.
In closing, Focus is a fun film with an overall good story even if the story gets absurd at times. The film is shot great, and the acting is top of the line from all the stars of the film. Since I watched this film at a matinée showtime spending only five dollars, I would have to say it was well worth the money seeing this in theaters. If you aren't lucky enough to see this film for a cheap price, then the best thing to do is wait for home video where this film is a must own.
7/10
The film was written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who are known for writing such films as Bad Santa and I Love You Phillip Morris. The film follows master conman Nicky(Will Smith) as he plans on making some big money conning at an American Football event similar to the Super Bowl(the term Super Bowl nor any NFL trademarks are actually used in the film). Along the way to this big event he runs into Jess(Margot Robbie), and she desperately wants in on this big con job Nicky has planned. As I mentioned above this film has some excellent twists and turns, so I really don't want to get into deep details of the story. The film continues over the course of the next few years, ending with a really good climax. Ficarra and Requa deliver a good story, but it does have it's issues. For example some of the twists are so absurd that you wonder if they simply pulled them out while shooting the ending. It seems thrown together rather loosely. Without the proper buildup the film had, this film would have fallen at or below an average film. Overall though Ficarra and Requa do a good job on this film, and most should enjoy this story.
The film was also directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Both of these directors worked in the past on films like I Love You Phillip Morris and Crazy, Stupid, Love. The film is not some big action film like many of the films Will Smith tends to do. Though it does interject some much needed comedy, and Smith is excellent at delivering this in that aspect. The film is shot wonderfully and looks amazing on the big scene, though I can't honestly say that there is a wow moment that makes this a must see in theaters. The acting is also another major aspect that this film excels at. Will Smith and Margot Robbie work fabulously together, and their chemistry only grows throughout the film. This is a good sign for their upcoming film they are working together on. Anyway, even the secondary actors like Brennan Brown, BD Wong, Gerald McRaney, and Adrian Martinez are such a joy to watch, and I would have to say BD Wong steals the show in his big scene of the film. So really watch out for that one. The directors really did a fabulous job with these talented actors, and they really deserve much credit in that aspect. Overall Ficarra and Requa do a fabulous job in the directing department, and really makes me look forward to their future outings as directors.
The film was composed by Nick Urata who worked with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa in the past on Crazy, Stupid, Love and more recently worked on the 2014 film Paddington. His work on this film is not that impressive at all. It seems like a go through the motions type of score. Urata's score doesn't add much depth at all to the film, and since I'm someone who really enjoys the score aspect of a film, this is a big disappointment here. I cannot honestly say the score was bad or awful, but it was average at best.
In closing, Focus is a fun film with an overall good story even if the story gets absurd at times. The film is shot great, and the acting is top of the line from all the stars of the film. Since I watched this film at a matinée showtime spending only five dollars, I would have to say it was well worth the money seeing this in theaters. If you aren't lucky enough to see this film for a cheap price, then the best thing to do is wait for home video where this film is a must own.
7/10