For all its panache and pizzazz, the con movie genre relies mostly, if not entirely, upon the strength of its characters. The realities that occupy the genre, from the realistic (Catch Me If You Can) to the fantastical (The Prestige), can exist only if the characters that inhabit them gain the confidence of the audience. Con films work best if they can successfully con not just their marks, but also their audiences. Fueled by the well–matched pair of Will Smith and Margot Robbie, Focus is a solid entry in the genre, and directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa almost con us into believing their characters are fully fleshed out.
Focus begins with longtime con man Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) enjoying a fine dinner, only to have to play boyfriend to Jess Barrett (Robbie) to get her out of a sticky situation with another customer at the restaurant. It’s a classic meet cute, until Jess tries to rob Nicky. After failing miserably, Jess gets Nicky and his crew to mentor her, and they pull off multiple cons in New Orleans together. These two lovestruck thieves seem perfect for each other, until Nicky reminds Jess that there’s no room for emotions in his professional life. Poof, he’s gone…until he runs into her three years later, and she’s in love with his latest mark.
Smith and Robbie bring an absorbing chemistry to Focus that is surprisingly intimate for a heist movie. The camera lingers on them as they stare into each other’s eyes, and the questionably realistic plot of the movie suddenly feels believable. Ficarra and Requa give a light–footed touch to Focus that also feels fresh, one that’s more like carefree Ocean’s Eleven than tense heist flick House of Games. The film falters somewhat when it tries to takes on a serious tone, but the characters remain so compelling it's as though it doesn't matter.
As the stakes get higher, the twists get more and more preposterous, and the guessing game of who’s conning whom threatens to collapse upon itself. Yet the sheer fun of the film excuses even the most absurd of these plot lines. Even if Focus is simply an elaborate money–making tease for Smith and Robbie's next film together, Suicide Squad, it’s an amusing caper that quits while it’s ahead. Consider me happily conned.
Image Credit: moviemurga
