Focus is a movie written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa whose previous efforts include Bad Santa and Crazy, Stupid, Love. The film stars Will Smith Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez, Gerald McRaney, and Rodrigo Santoro.
Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) is a very successful con man who knows just about all there is to know about the con game including when to back down and when to go for broke. Enter the young and beautiful Jess (Robbie) who, while excelling at small cons, is looking to Nicky to help her step into the larger arena where the stakes get higher and higher. As the pair go deep into the con game, they each come to realize that their attraction for each other may end up getting in the way of achieving their goals although the ultimate score may end up being more than they can handle.
I honestly wasn't sure what to expect with this movie although it actually turned out to be a very entertaining film. Any con movie's number one ingredient needs to be the element of never knowing who is on who's side and Focus does a really good job at keeping you guessing and wondering when a double cross might go down. There are just enough twists and turns to keep things entertaining without ever getting too convoluted and the creative team of Ficarra and Requa does a great job of conveying a sense of wit and style that is just right for the story. As for the lead acting tandem of Smith and Robbie, they provide more than enough charisma and charm to fill a movie twice as long. This could be the film that gets Smith's career back on track as well as fanning the flames of Robbie's quick rise to stardom.
My one fear for this film is that it most likely won't stick with audiences for very long. While the story is fun and entertaining, it does everything just well enough to get by without really pulling anything off that will leave a lasting impression. That being said, Focus is still a movie I would definitely recommend that you see as soon as you get the chance. For some reason it has been showing on IMAX screens although there really isn't anything about the movie that would warrant the premium format. My advice would be to check out a weekend matinee and you will be more than happy with the end result.
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