Focus

Not only is Focus a highly entertaining film, but it marks a long-overdue return to form for Will Smith.  Over the past few years, Smith has been cast adrift in a series of bloated vanity projects, bizarre cameos (Him showing up as the Devil in last year's Winter's Tale left most audiences scratching their heads.), and setting up projects for his kids.  Here, at last, he gets to return to the smooth charisma and cool charm that made him a box office star in the first place.

He's teamed up with rising actress, Margot Robbie, from The Wolf of Wall Street and About Time.  They share a great chemistry, and are obviously having a lot of fun together.  They also create the right amount of romantic tension in a lot of their scenes.  It helps that the script they're working with, credited to directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid Love), is well-written, sharp and often very funny.  It's well thought out too, except for the final fifteen minutes or so, which gets a bit top heavy with plot twists.  This is a movie that tries to constantly be one step ahead of the audience, tricking us into thinking the plot is going one way, only for it to go another.  It never gets annoying, because the movie doesn't overdo it, except for the third act.  But, by then, the movie had built up so much good will, I really didn't mind.  The performances rise above any narrative issues.

Will Smith plays Nicky, a professional con artist who has incredible focus, and can lift your valuables in a matter of seconds without anyone realizing.  He's a smooth and calm thief, though a certain scene does seem to hint at a gambling addiction.  He's a man who values control, and is more interested in stealing as much as possible from his mark, rather than the monetary value of what he steals.  It's all about volume to Nicky.  Early in the film, he takes on a new apprentice named Jess (Robbie).  She's rough around the edges at first, but she's a fast learner, and picks up on his game.  A relationship seems to be building between them, but since they are both professional con artists, we in the audience can never quite be sure.  Part of the fun is that the characters of Nicky and Jess don't even seem sure themselves if it is real love, or if one is trying to take the other for everything they have.

The plot of Focus is built around the fact that we know things are not what they seem, and that the romantic leads are known for playing other people as fools.  The fun comes not just from the genuine chemistry that Smith and Robbie create, but the guessing as to whether or not it is for real.  When the answers come, we're not disappointed, because the movie is smart with its puzzles, and doesn't try to pull the rug out from under us too much.  Yes, the last act is extremely convoluted and doesn't make a lot of sense as you think back on it.  But before it derails in the final moments, this is an incredibly tight and well-designed comedic con story.  The characters are smart, but not so smart that they're unbelievable.  It's fun watching Nicky and Jess play off each other and fall in love, and it's even more fun to watch Smith and Robbie get behind these characters and create a real spark with each other up on the screen.

But the most fun I had was not in following the plot, but in the many ingenious smaller moments that are placed throughout the film.  The early scenes where Nicky is teaching Jess the rules of his game have a very breezy charm, and culminates with a brilliant scene where Nicky and his various accomplices stage an elaborate pick pocket operation on the streets of New Orleans, which almost resembles a choreographed dance.  Another great scene occurs in a luxury sky box at the Super Bowl, where Nicky takes on a series of bets on the game with a high roller (B D Wong).  As the stakes of the bets increase, so does the tension of the scene, and the key actors (Smith, Robbie and Wong) all do a great job of setting up the tone of the scene, and increasing the suspense while exchanging limited dialogue with each other.

What sets Focus apart from a lot of the early year releases so far is that it's tremendous fun, very smart, and actually manages to engage the audience and get them involved with the story.  It's not a perfect film by any means, but it's definitely Will Smith's best movie in a long time, and a reminder of what a great leading man he can be with the right material.  It also cements Margot Robbie as a leading lady.  But most of all, it's a light and enjoyable entertainment that lifts the spirits.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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