Will Smith is back in gear with the charisma and affability that made him a star. Equal part to his success is the smoldering Margot Robbie; who’s dynamite as the sexy femme fatale. Their chemistry props upFocus, which could have easily been derailed by the flimsy plot. But the short runtime and eye candy make it an entertaining, light diversion. Directors/writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa have the romantic comedy chops from their first film, Crazy Stupid Love; but aren’t on David Mamet’s level of creating clever cons.
Smith stars as renowned con man, Nicky Spurgeon. He spots a gorgeous small timer, Jess (Robbie), and takes her under his wing. Jess is smitten, and before long Nicky falls under her spell as well. But money is the game and Jess learns the hard way that Nicky plays tough. Three years later, they cross paths at a car race in Buenos Aires. Nicky has staged an elaborate con with a cheating owner (Adrian Martinez). He’s surprised to find that Jess is his girlfriend. The two are wary of each other, but the flame inevitably rekindles. Endangering the con and arousing the suspicion of a ruthless henchman (Gerald McRaney).
Focusis loaded with twists that are kind of ridiculous. One con in particular is entertaining to watch, but stretches the scope of believability. The ending, which I thought was predictable, also suffers from this. The story isn’t the strength. The beautiful people are the sleight of hand that will keep you entertained. Smith and Robbie are glamorous and sexy. Chiseled physiques and designer outfits play well between their many romps. Smith must be drinking the blood of unicorns to be that fit at his age, but it’s Robbie that steals the screen with her sexuality.
Runtime is key here. The film doesn’t get boring. Ficarra and Requa were smart enough to sprinkle the sex scenes throughout. There’s really no downtime when they’re not hooking up. This is skillful editing on their part and cannot be understated. Most directors would have banked too much on their stars and taken their scenes too long. The filmmakers here knew when to titillate and move on. The costume design, particularly for Robbie, is very well done. Designer Dayna Pink smartly dresses her sexy, but classy; revealing not smutty. It’s an understated part of the performance, but the wardrobe is key to these characters believability.
Audiences should findFocusenjoyable. Smith had a sort of bust in After Earth, but has been gold at the box office for the vast majority of his career. He’ll reign again this weekend by trotting out the charm. There will be a bit of jealousy as well. Rolling around with Margot Robbie and getting paid millions to do it is certainly enviable.
