Will Smith’s attempt to catapult his son to movie stardom in 2013’s After Earth lost him some acting kudos, but thankfully the Fresh Prince has brought his A-game back to the present day.
In his first R-rated movie in the States since 2003's Bad Boys II, Smith plays Nicky, a smooth third-generation hustler, who hires aspiring con artist Jess (the insanely gorgeous Margot Robbie) as his intern. He shows her the ropes and introduces her to his team of lifters who are adept at making a quick buck from lifting tourists’ possessions (watches, credit cards, identities and cash).
It isn’t long before Jess is brought into Nicky’s thieving fold and the blossoming love birds head to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, where they plan to fleece high-stakes gambler (B.D. Wong) for over a million dollars. This scene may seem long and drawn out but it’s worth the pay off.
With Nicky fearing that his romantic feelings are clouding his judgement, he kicks his doe-eyed protégée to the curb, leaving her back at square one.
Fast forward three years and their paths cross in a delicious new storyline. Now Nicky is working for racing car mogul, Garriga, (Rodrigo Santoro), who just happens to be dating Jess. Or could this just be her way of kicking Nicky where it hurts? With Garriga’s overprotective and sceptical bodyguard (Gerald McRaney), hot on their trails, Nicky and Jess’s deception reaches a whole new level.
Co-directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the duo responsible for 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love, the charm of Focus comes from its effortless style and unassuming intelligence that encourage the viewer to question everything we see, and to be wary of everyone’s actions.
The ultra-slick script, which is cleanly divided in two, is packed with clever dialogue and carefully plotted montages throughout. However, the lack of emotion makes it hard to invest in the characters.
The public swindling stints are entertaining and punchy, but lack credibility. The real scene stealers come from the elaborate schemes and flash lifestyle displayed in the second half of the film. It’s just a shame that the ending is underwhelming.
Will Smith and Margot Robbie have sizzling chemistry and are the perfect pairing. It’s hard to believe that Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were ever in the running to play the leading roles.
An extended cameo by Adrian Martinez as Nicky’s long-time partner in crime provides the movie with some of its best moments, while McRaney brings old school energy to the production.
Focus may lack the charisma of cult classics like The Italian Job or even the Ocean’s 11 movies, but it has just enough tricks up its sleeve to keep you from getting distracted.
Laura Delaney
