'Focus', the latest romantic comedy on offer from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa moves from twist to twist, keeping its audience guessing until its final moments. But is that better in theory than in practice?
'Focus' follows Nicky (cooly played by a grounded Will Smith), a prolific conmen who is always on his game. After a botched attempt by Jess (Australia’s own Margot Robbie) to swindle him out, Smith takes her under his wing to teach her the tricks of the trade. Following a slick heist with a daring group of fellow pickpockets, Smith and Robbie part ways, only to meet up again three years later. From there, a sucker is born every minute until the credits roll.
It’s in this premise however, that 'Focus' can, well, lose focus. In an effort to constantly throw twists at the audience, the directors can rob their audience of a chance to build emotional rapport with our lead duo. One minute we feel sorry for Smith, the next we realise he’s been faking. Wait, no back to feeling bad again. Poor guy. Someone should buy him a Kit Kat. Wait a minute. Oh yeah, another con. Give me the damn Kit Kat back.Although this keeps an audience guessing, we learn quickly not to give our heart to either Smith or Robbie. Because of this, when everything works out in the end, the audience can’t really celebrate, because what if it’s another con?
Directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa have cleverly blended the slick con artist genre with a romantic comedy. And the results are fairly satisfying. Look too close and the holes will appear but if you’re willing to let it, 'Focus' will gladly take you on its ride.
Smith is a solid and level headed lead and as expected, helms the film comfortably. Subtlety is key and Smith doesn’t muck about with a role that must balance both the emotional distance that his work creates and the big softie that he really is.Margot Robbie similarly flaunts cooly through the flick, giving plenty but hiding enough to keep the audience guessing whether she’s the best con artist in the game or maybe a touch in over her head. There were moments of slippage that (in this writer's opinion) took the audience out of the film long enough to remember “They’re only acting,” but within moments there’s another curveball and all is quickly forgotten.
The aesthetic of 'Focus' is in actual fact, beautiful. A strong primary colour palette with smooth crosses in camera are a credit to the entire production team. Our main characters live a life of stolen luxury and the visuals of the film reflect this enviably. Combine that with a star leading duo and a rocketing plot and you’ve got a solid foundation for a slick film.
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'Focus' is an enjoyable ride from start to finish. The clever heist flick with a heavy dose of emotion thrown in works hard to keep you guessing, possibly to its detriment. 'Focus' too closely and you might be dissatisfied. Don’t focus too hard and enjoy it for what it is.
3.5/5
'Focus' is in cinemas now.
This review first appeared on This Is Film.
