FOCUS
US, 2015, 105 minutes, Colour.
Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerard Mc Raney, Adrian Martinez, Brennan Brown, B.D. Wong, Robert Taylor.
Directed by John Requa, Glenn Ficara.
There is often something very attractive about con men and women and fraud stories on screen, the type of characters involved, their motivations, their abilities to take people in, creating fictitious stories and maintaining them. But, it is not as if we would like to encounter them in real life!
Will Smith is very smooth as Nick, consummate charming con man, who lets himself initially be taken in, it seems, by a very attractive young woman, Jess, Margot Robbie. But, when she and an accomplice attempt to blackmail him for being in a compromising situation, he turns the tables and points out how completely ineffective they are. Jess seems to be intrigued and contacts Nick and persuades him to take her on as an apprentice.
The centrepiece of the early part of the film takes place in New Orleans during the Superbowl, Nick having a squad of 30 people, involved in all kinds of tricks, deceits, and common pickpocketing, as well as those at the headquarters who count the money, package it and deliver it. There is a lengthy intriguing episode at the Superbowl when Nick and Jess encounter a wealthy Chinese businessman, B.D. Wong. They keep betting about play moves with double or nothing, until the stakes are in the millions, Nick steadily betting, Jess rather bewildered until it all becomes clear to her and to us as Nick explains his success.
Move to 3 years later, move to Argentina, after Nick has let Jess go. Nick is involved in a confidence trick dealing with formulas and engines for motor racing, employed by a millionaire, Rodrigo Santoro, who has a bullish bodyguard, Gerald Mc Raney. And then he meets Jess just as he is preparing to set up an Australian entrepreneur, Robert Taylor with as flat an accent as you could wish or not wish. Jess seems to be with the Argentinian but succumbs to Nick’s attentions – which may or may not be setups.
There is a bit of melodrama before the end, Jess abducted, Nick in trouble – and then, a strange twist which strains credibility, and all is well (not necessarily good or moral).
This is mainly glossy entertainment for a night out.
1. Popular entertainment? Confidence tricksters? Types, the scams? The glossy treatment? The world of the wealthy? The International tone? The cast?
2. The title, Nick and his explanation? In action in New Orleans? 30 people involved, the celebration, the details of all the pickpocketing, the collection of the money?
3. Audience attitude towards Nick, towards Jess? Interest, sympathy? The amoral behaviour, greed, risk and gambling?
4. Nick, the opening, Jess and the alleged affair, the confidence trick, the husband, their being exposed? Nick’s interest in Jess? Her meeting him, requests, the discussions, the training, correcting, on-the-job, success? Participation in New Orleans? The cash, the various personalities and their functions, the supervisor, the drivers, the fat participant?
5. The Superbowl, Nick and the challenge of the Chinese gentleman, the bets and the risks, double or nothing, setting up Jess, with the binoculars, her seeing the fat man? Nick and his explanation of the brainwashing for the number, 55? Jess, out of the car with 80,000? Her reaction?
6. Three years later, Argentina, racing cars, the owner and his bodyguard, the plans, the selling of the information, for millions? Mc Ewan – and his Australian attitude?
7. The party, meeting Jess, his plan in pretending to be drunk, water instead of vodka, his reaction to Jess, drinking, his performance, the approach, the contract?
8. Jess, seeing Nick, talking, the gift of the necklace, meeting the fat man, the sexual encounter, the bodyguard and his visit to the apartment, her hiding on the ledge?
9. The irony of Nick selling the information to all the teams, the bag of cash, the car crash, their being taken?
10. The explanation? The con on Jess? Escape planned?
11. The irony of the twist, the bodyguard being Nick’s father, the tradition of tricks, his working for the Argentinian for years? The credibility of this twist?
12. The issue of who was conning whom? And the film conning the audience?
