Focus: Maestros de la Estafa

Just watched "Focus", a movie which made some buzz 2-3 years ago mainly because the rumored romance between the two main actors, Will Smith and Margot Robbie. I don't know what they actually did off-screen, but on-screen they have no chemistry at all.

Focus is a movie about con-artists. It doesn't try to follow the steps of "The Sting" or "Ocean's eleven", but it has the same goal, to confuse the audience on who is playing who... and here is where the problems are starting to arise...

The plot is paper thin and every con seems unnecessary and overcomplicated. There aren't that too many cons to begin with, but every one of them seems forced. A futile effort from the writers, to "amaze" the audience.

You see, to make the audience to expect a twist is basically a bad thing. Even the average viewer had, possibly, better twists in mind than those in "Focus". More plausible and more fun to watch. Here the tricks are too over-the-top in their execution to swallow, and overall unimpressive, leaving a bad aftertaste...

The movie looks colorful, but the acting is pale. Will Smith seems bored possibly because of an early realization that this movie won't work.

Overall: Not a satisfying movie, including the lukewarm ending. The twists you expecting from a con-artist's movie are there, but they are unclever and forced. Maybe its time to dust that DVD of "The Sting" from the selves...

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The title "Focus" had potential among the quantitatively declining Con- Artist genre. Although brilliantly centered and set up with a decent cast and setting - the execution of intelligent criminal activity was poor and often justifying or explaining trickery and illusion as "he's just so good at it." - failing to satisfy the audience with an insight into the brilliance that is a con-centered plan.

I love heist movies. I love intricate con movies. I love crime movies and I'm sad to say this doesn't really come close to fitting anywhere between those genres best and brightest. Instead you're left feeling slightly amused, slightly tired, slightly relieved that it's over but kind of happy you saw it anyway - I dread to think how badly this movie would have been were it not for will smith.

The Will Smith redemption movie, Focus, was a bit of a step up from After Earth. He could honestly only go up following After Earth.

Focus is a better movie than I anticipated, actually that's a lie. Despite the cast my expectations were low, so I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't much of a stinker. The movie is entertaining, the story is somewhat interesting, but - of course there is a but - it could have been much better.

My main problem with Focus is that I wasn't engaged in the story, it wasn't because it's poorly written, it's not. I walked into the movie theater knowing that it was about con-artists - the marketing never hid it, if you've seen the trailer you know this. Anyway, knowing that it was about con artists and the tag-line is "Never loose Focus" I never really let my guard down and I didn't let myself believe what I was seeing. I was busy trying to figure out what the con was before it happened and that's where the movie kind of disappoint.

They did not play on the fact that the audience may be looking for clues as to what is going on. There are no real clues for the audience to find, there are very little things for you to think back on and say "That's right I saw that." They either show how it or explain it once it already happened. So if you're like me, looking for bread crumbs for you to figure out the con Focus hardly leaves any. I only got sucked into one scene and totally believed what they fed me for a little while. But much later when the big twist came I wasn't shock or surprised.

I probably would have had a better experience of the film if there were hidden clues leading up to the cons or if there was one character, who wasn't a con artist, that I could have trusted allowing me to let my guard down and get conned.

The leads, Will Smith and Margot Robbie, work well on screen. Will Smith is not his usual happy, upbeat, self in this movie but it suits the character. As for Margot Robbie, she plays the sex symbol cliché well without letting herself get trapped by it. She's more than a dumb, interchangeable pin up, she showed it in The Wolf Of Wall Street and also in interviews you quickly get that she knows how and when to wield the power than she has. She's talented and it shows in the movie.

Focus is a decent movie, it lacks refinement but it's entertaining, Smith is slowly getting back on top after the stinker that After Earth was.

If you stopped for an hour and dissected this film you WILL find problems, like how the audience is meant to root for borderline sociopathic criminals or how the structure isn't what they're used to... HOWEVER, if you go in just expecting to be entertained and if you have a particular fondness for hustle movies, this is one enjoyable movie. The charming but not over-the-top humour consistently keeps the story entertaining and by not following the usual structure of a movie this kind, and ultimately the one the trailer promised, it offers something new to the mix. I can see the multiple twists as a turn off for some expecting a deeper film but if you know what you're in for I think the multiple twists in the film's final act will one-after-another bring a smile to your face and even have you laughing. Will Smith harnesses his charm to success in this flick and Margot has effectively proved herself as not being a one-hit-wonder. This is not a bad film, though I do believe your enjoyment hinges on your expectations when going into it. Don't expect the next Ocean's 11, expect a charming, funny, well acted, smartly written, hustle movie that will undoubtedly be drowned out by mixed reviews from people expecting gold and can't appreciate really good silver.

Focus is not a really good movie. It's not a really bad movie either though. If you don't have a problem with Will Smith (and his relationship in this movie), you might be able to enjoy this. There are a couple of things in here, that are nicely told and shot (like the explanation or "how-to" guide).

We concentrate on Will Smith and the movie tries to keep things mysterious which works at times, though the resolution of most of those mysteries are mostly disappointing. If you don't care for that, there is light fun to be had here. The chemistry sometimes is not what the movie will or would want you it to be, but overall it's a decent con movie