Focus (2015)
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A seasoned con artist takes an aspiring grifter under his wing, only to find their professional partnership complicated by a growing romantic connection.
The story
Veteran con artist Nicky encounters novice grifter Jess, who attempts to con him by seducing him and threatening him with a fake jealous husband. After exposing her ruse, Nicky offers her guidance and recruits her into his large crew. While working together in New Orleans, Jess proves her skills in pickpocket operations. However, as the two begin a romantic relationship, Nicky becomes unsettled, haunted by his father's warning to never become emotionally involved with colleagues. The crew prepares for a major event at the Super Bowl, where they plan to disband.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Veteran con artist Nicky recruits novice grifter Jess into his crew after exposing her initial attempt to con him. While working in New Orleans, they begin a romantic relationship that worries Nicky, who was taught by his father to avoid emotional ties with colleagues. During a high-stakes con at the Super Bowl, Nicky orchestrates a complex scheme to swindle a wealthy gambler, Liyuan Tse, by using subliminal prompts and keeping Jess in the dark as the 'convincer.' After the heist, Nicky abruptly parts ways with Jess. Three years later, Nicky is in Buenos Aires to sabotage a motorsport team and unexpectedly reunites with Jess, who is now involved with the team owner, Rafael Garriga. Nicky begins a new scheme to sell a faulty fuel-burning algorithm to multiple teams, including Garriga's. He and Jess eventually become intimate, but they are captured by Garriga's security team. In a final twist, it is revealed that the security head, Owens, is actually Nicky's father, Bucky. The 'shooting' of Nicky was a staged misdirection tactic. Bucky drives them to the hospital, confesses he abandoned Nicky to protect him, warns him again about the dangers of love, and leaves with the money. Nicky and Jess reconcile as they head to the hospital.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Glenn Ficarra; John Requa
- Writers
- Glenn Ficarra · writer; John Requa · writer
- Cast and characters
- Will Smith · Nicky; Margot Robbie · Jess; Rodrigo Santoro; Gerald McRaney
- Genres
- crime; comedy; drama; thriller
- Themes
- Con artistry; Emotional vulnerability; Betrayal; Family legacy
- Tone and mood
- Glamorous; Slick; Escapist
- Premise and plot tags
- Con artists; Interracial romance; Crime drama; Comedy thriller
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a success at the box office, grossing $158 million against its $50 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 55% · review count: 229; Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 42
- Production trivia
- The film was the first major Hollywood production edited entirely on Final Cut Pro X.; Sleight-of-hand expert Apollo Robbins was hired as a consultant to choreograph the film's pickpocketing sequences.; Kristen Stewart was originally cast for the film, but left the project due to her concern with the age gap between her and Smith.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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