Focus (2015) Review *spoilers*

Every movie will meet its judge who decides whether it falls into film obscurity or is able to join its place in the stars with other great films. Now, Focus is a movie that will sadly fall into obscurity, but it has its place in the here and now. Margot Robbie is hotter than the face of the sun after the success of The Wolf of Wall Street and Will Smith has stepped back into the warm glow of the lime light letting his kids ride the bench. The movie does not offer anything new to the crime or suspense genres, but it borrows good things from them and portrays them with gusto. However, is this movie truly worth the watch or should it be passed by in favor of something of else?

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The story is about a confidence man by the name of Nicky (Smith) who is amazing at what he does and cocky to boot. With that said, an up and coming con artist, Jess (Robbie), wants to learn from Nicky; he reluctantly takes her under his tutelage. Jess becomes rather skilled at the trade and eventually becomes Nicky's lover. When the job is over, Nicky abandons Jess so as not get too soft and fall in love which makes him lose focus. The tag line for the movie is "Never drop the con" and when you lose focus, that's what happens. Years later while Nicky is working on another grift, he encounters Jess who is romantically involved with his client. Is it by chance that Jess is suddenly back in Nicky's life or is there something more to it? Guess you'll have to watch and find out.

He's gonna play me like that...now I have to see the movie

There are plenty of reasons to see this movie, but the best is simply to see the chemistry between Smith and Robbie. With the filming of Suicide Squad going on it's pretty great to see Robbie and Smith have pretty great report. For Robbie, I see nothing but great things in her future. For Smith, this just shows that he still has a lot more to offer to the world of cinema.

The plot of the movie is rather borrowed with many double and triple crosses occurring which will keep you guessing and surprised. There were several points in the movie where I was generally shocked with the outcome of certain events. I actually felt silly when I was taking notes because I saw how little credit I was giving this movie. With minimal expectations, this movie is Nolan mixed with Scorsese and a sprinkle of early Shyamalan to add some zest. However, I can see why this did so poor in theaters when many people were looking for the best but found it average. This isn't a bad movie for director's Glenn Ficarra and John Requa to have in their repertoire because it does a lot right, but will leave you wanting.

The most interesting thing in the movie is how Smith's character explains how to steal correctly and the science behind why he does certain things. He explains a lot of it as tricking the brain into feeling something incorrectly or making it want something that it doesn't know it wants. Case in point is a fabulous scene that involves BD Wong where you think Smith is completely screwed, but then everything works out in his favor. The explanations are amazing, Ficarra and Requa certainly did there research. Con men and thieves are very smart at what they do and when you see it unfold you'll sit there and think "That's actually brilliant". There are also scenes where the camera will go out of focus. This will represent Smith losing his "focus" on the task at hand. Elaborate explanations and interesting cinematography an amazing movie does not make, but it really keeps you interested.

There are of course problems, mainly that the middle act tends to drag on. Everything will pick back up but it takes over a half an hour to get there. Also, even though the double crosses are very good, there are so many that you expect the shocks and it becomes a matter of quantity over quality. With that said, the beginning will rope you in and the end will reel you back in for more. This isn't a movie that you should skip. It may not stand the test of time, but for right now this movie will keep you interested. I wouldn't buy the movie, but I would rent it and use it for a movie night. Focus has something for everyone with its romance, its comedy, and its suspense. I would find anyone hard pressed to not like at least one thing about the movie. My motto for movies is: if there's one good thing about a movie, then the time was well spent. I give Focus; seven picked pockets out of ten. Please come back for more reviews.

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