Focus - B

Rated R, 105 minutes
Wes's Grade: B

Crowd-pleasing, slick heist movie "Focus" isn't perfect, but brings Smith back to form and gives us more of Robbie

"Focus" is an enjoyable romantic heist film that much like its lead character played by Will Smith, is so slick, charming and entertaining, you quickly find yourself under their spell without fully realizing you've been had. It also returns Smith to some of the crowd-pleasing movies he made in the 2000s, and shows us more of a wonderful, breakout leading lady who's bound for Smith-like superstardom. Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) is a seasoned con-man who has a quick fling with the attractive Jess (Margot Robbie); and introducing her to the tricks of his con man trade. Three years later, they find each other in Buenos Aires on the opposing side of the same scam: a billionaire international race car owner (Rodrigo Santoro). In the midst of Nicky's latest, most dangerous scheme, she throws his plans for a loop...and the consummate con man off his game. "Focus" is co-directed and written by the filmmaking team of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, who made such movies as "Crazy, Stupid Love" and "I Love You Phillip Morris" is a glossy, entertaining con movie that's a great deal of fun in the right moment, though it's not as smart or original as it thinks it is, mainly because it's inherently sexist and is often so improbable it'll make you laugh (such as the over-the-top football betting sequence mid-film). The chief highlight is the sexy Smith-Robbie chemistry; Smith, who can be a great actor when he's not so self-aware and smart-alecky, is solid and even restrained in a typical role for him, though its Robbie who steals the movie (so memorable as Leonardo DiCaprio's wife in "The Wolf of Wall Street"), a flawless, confident Australian beauty the camera clearly loves and who brings some much-needed humanity to the proceedings as his watch-loving protege. This is a breakout role clearly designed to further her stardom (she has shadings of a young Angelina Jolie), even if her "Focus" character could've been more coy and sly and even stronger; also memorable are two character actors, Gerald McRaney, and the portly Mexican actor Adrian Rodriguez, both of whom get some of the better lines as two of Nicky's more colorful colleagues. The sharper first half, when Smith teaches Robbie some of the tricks of the trade, is far more memorable than the slightly unfocused (sorry I couldn't resist) Buenos Aires half, including a silly, twisty climax that seems pulled out of the hat at the last minute. The crowd-pleasing yet highly calculated "Focus" is sort of Will Smith's comeback movie, but it really proves this may be the year of Margot Robbie, a name you should get used to hearing a lot in 2015.