All romcoms have a hook and with Focus that hook is con artistry. As a pure 'con' film, I would have rated it slightly lower due to the superficial con scenarios and over-the-top premise but when judged as the genre it is at heart, the film exceeds expectations.
This is the perfect romcom for everybody; there's a beautiful woman (who is funny and endearing), a stunning man (who is also funny and acting for his life), the jokes come hard and fast and the script manages to maintain the prerequisite level of romcom predictability while delivering clever twists along the way. Bonus: it's not an obvious romcom i.e. there are no cringeworthy or sappy moments.
The two leads, Will Smith and Margot Robbie, don't necessarily have that undeniable chemistry that makes them instantly believable as soulmates but both actors have so much likability and charm that I found myself rooting for them straight away. I loved that we saw them developing a bond (as opposed to just looking into each other's eyes and 'knowing') and there's a lot of intelligence to the romance aspect; we see them have a friendship and interact on a level which explains why they care about each other and therefore, why we should too.
No matter how silly, I did enjoy all of the cons, much like in Now You See Me (2013). I probably enjoyed Focus a little bit more than that film as Focus had more...well...focus! In the sense that, there's always a sense of purpose and control i.e. nothing ever becomes too convoluted.
I enjoyed the ending too, there's nothing new here but there was a nice little twist and overall, I felt like it was a well-spent hour and half.
Worth noting: Having watched so many films, I often 'drift' and when I return I find I haven't missed much and don't care to check if I have. On the two occasions where my mind wandered, I found myself frantically rewinding as there are so many clever and/or hilarious one liners that I didn't want to miss even one. Also, the trailer didn't spoil all the best bits. In fact, I think they went for understated appeal which beats overhyping any and every day of the week in my book.
Highly recommended 8/10
This is the perfect romcom for everybody; there's a beautiful woman (who is funny and endearing), a stunning man (who is also funny and acting for his life), the jokes come hard and fast and the script manages to maintain the prerequisite level of romcom predictability while delivering clever twists along the way. Bonus: it's not an obvious romcom i.e. there are no cringeworthy or sappy moments.
The two leads, Will Smith and Margot Robbie, don't necessarily have that undeniable chemistry that makes them instantly believable as soulmates but both actors have so much likability and charm that I found myself rooting for them straight away. I loved that we saw them developing a bond (as opposed to just looking into each other's eyes and 'knowing') and there's a lot of intelligence to the romance aspect; we see them have a friendship and interact on a level which explains why they care about each other and therefore, why we should too.
No matter how silly, I did enjoy all of the cons, much like in Now You See Me (2013). I probably enjoyed Focus a little bit more than that film as Focus had more...well...focus! In the sense that, there's always a sense of purpose and control i.e. nothing ever becomes too convoluted.
I enjoyed the ending too, there's nothing new here but there was a nice little twist and overall, I felt like it was a well-spent hour and half.
Worth noting: Having watched so many films, I often 'drift' and when I return I find I haven't missed much and don't care to check if I have. On the two occasions where my mind wandered, I found myself frantically rewinding as there are so many clever and/or hilarious one liners that I didn't want to miss even one. Also, the trailer didn't spoil all the best bits. In fact, I think they went for understated appeal which beats overhyping any and every day of the week in my book.
Highly recommended 8/10