An indisputable fact is that the audience loves high-quality cinema about criminals, especially cinema stories about ingenious and impudent swindlers. And if the actor is a popular and beloved by the spectator role, then the beholder completely forgets about morality and the law, completely switching to the side of criminal elements. The heroes of the film Focus (2015) do not at all try to be law-abiding citizens, backing up their illegal actions with convincing justifying motivations or a thoughtful moral choice. These people are by no means thieves. But the audience is ready to empathize with them, internally justifying them.
Author's tandem
Focus project reviews and reviews of the film are positioned as one of the best crime fighters of the last decade, successfully combining the tantalizing humor of "Eleven Ocean Friends", the charm of the characters "How to Steal a Million" and the drive "Illusions of Deception". The creators were in shape, their focus was a success! The author's duet of John Rekua and Glenn Fikarr managed to "carve a spark" from the secondary history at first glance. The directors are involved in directing the film "I Love You, Philip Morris" and writing the script for "Bad Santa." The creators really do a lot. Reviews of the film “Focus” with Will Smith note that the narrative of the picture starts so briskly that in the first minutes of the timing there is nothing left for the watchers to do, how surprised they are to absorb the drive, humor and adrenaline of what is happening. Most viewers-reviewers tirelessly praise the script of the tape from start to finish, ignoring the annoying break in the storyline in the middle of the project, noted by film critics.
Two parts
Film experts, analyzing the film Focus, published mixed reviews. The reason for this is the structure of the narrative of the picture. According to their authoritative opinion, the project seems to consist of two pieces, the action of which takes place with a difference in a certain time period, and each has its own pace, surroundings, mood, location of locations and even characters. This is a little confusing, so some critics do not understand why the authors used this technique. Indeed, the plot of this gap can be justified very tightly, because he does not give additional dynamics to the acting game, nor does he provide auxiliary intrigue.
Brief description of the plot
The plot of the film "Focus" introduces the viewer to the hero of Will Smith - an experienced swindler and virtuoso manipulator Nikki, who falls into the networks of a newcomer to the fraud Jess (Margot Robbie). Feeling sympathy for the girl and teaching her the wisdom of skill, the hero notes her remarkable talent. However, over time, he begins to fear that personal attachment, which threatens to develop into a deep feeling, may interfere with business. The thief decides to part with his passion. In this part of the story lies the turning point noted by film critics in the reviews of the film Focus.
Three years pass, self-confident fatal seducer Jess Barrett arrives in Buenos Aires on the eve of the start of car racing, accompanied by high cash rates. The event also becomes the subject of a new Nikki scam. Now former lovers on opposite sides of the barricades. The girl is determined to destroy the fraudster's plans and remove him from the game.
Screen mates
In any fraud, be it a funny joke or a criminal plan, and even more so, the main thing is the performer. According to reviews of the film Focus, it takes two at once, and none of them outshines the other. One is Will Smith, who is invariably an A-class movie actor. He has not participated in the creation of significant blockbusters for seven years, and the rising star Margot Robbie is still gaining a reputation. This tandem works together throughout the timing, according to the plot, their characters are necessary for each other, and the viewer remembered exactly those episodes where the tension between Robbie and Smith is clearly felt. The spark between the characters of the actors is noted by all viewers in reviews of the film "Focus".
An eminent expert in exposing the manipulations of fraudsters and their fraudulent schemes by Apollo Robbins, nicknamed the "thief gentleman," advised screen partners.
Advantages of the tape
The audience is hungry for a robbery that is breathtaking, and in this regard, “Focus” (customer reviews confirm this) corresponds to the level set by the trilogy about the tricks of Danny Ocean’s friends and the recent “Illusion of Deception”. Energetic editing, dynamic soundtrack, stylish and elegant criminals - all this in the movie is worthy of the highest praise, especially in the first plot component. The second part is somewhat aggravated by an extremely implausible story with the “dismissed engineer”, but Rodrigo Santoro, who plays the role of Garrigue, an arrogant oligarch with an insidious plan, clearly decorates. Actively alternating locations: a huge stadium and a race track, a "thieves' den" and a luxurious palace, expensive restaurants and chic hotels - fill the story with a fleur of a fabulous journey through hot places. The viewer himself becomes a member of a team of attractive attackers. But such an impression is worth a lot.
Criticism
In general, as the reviews for the film “Focus” by critics and spectators emphasize, there is nothing to blame for the picture, with the exception of the not-too-distressing plot failure in the middle. Beautiful ensemble cast, incendiary humor, stunning scenery and fantastic locations, karcalomnye tricks and brisk editing will not let you get bored. The brilliant Will Smith seemed to have returned to the time of the Bad Boys and is full of witticisms; Margot Robbie is artfully seductive, proving with all her appearance the correct choice of caste specialists. It is absolutely impossible to break away even for a moment from viewing, therefore reviewers praise the film “Focus” in their reviews, the rating on IMDb is 6.6 out of 10 points.
Expert review
For all its merits, the project received mixed reviews from film critics. On the Metacritic review aggregator, the feed has 56 points, and on the Rotten Tomatoes website, its average rating is 57% based on 181 reviews. According to information provided by CinemaScore, a market research firm, the average picture rating is 4 on a five-point scale. The data was compiled from a survey of viewers immediately after leaving the cinema after the premiere screening and the weekend.
Disney Family Comedy
Unfortunately, the fantastic comedy project directed by Kenny Ortega “Hocus Pocus” about the tricks of three witches in the Russian Federation is almost unknown to a wide audience. The comedy was released in 1993 at the peak of hype around the post-Soviet video rental. In the United States, a family film collected a decent (for that time) amount of $ 40 million and received an IMDb rating of 6.70. Saturated with special effects, quite expensive, at the same time funny and frightening Disney fairy tale takes the viewer to the glorious city of Salem, where mysterious events take place on the eve of the Feast of All Saints. Three sorceress sisters: Vinnie, Sarah and Mary Sanderson - are transferred from the distant past with one goal - to get the souls of all local children until morning.
Only the weird black cat can stop the witches, except for the main characters of Max Dennison and his younger sister Dani. The director of Ortega, who created the not-so-successful previous picture "News Sellers" in the form of one continuous mass scene, remained true to himself. The film “Hocus Pocus” is described by movie connoisseurs as a vivid masquerade show, in which the musical, humor, science fiction, horror, adventure and melodrama merged together.
Continuation of a story
At one time, filmmakers doubted the advisability of filming the sequel, but recently decided to take a chance. Hocus Pocus 2: Rise of the Elder Witch is already on the Disney production plan and will be produced by the notorious comedian, actress and screenwriter Melissa McCarthy.
In the original film, the roles of key characters were played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Katie Najimi. Currently, all three performers, while in good health, have not yet completed their creative career, but, according to rumors, the sequel will not resort to their services. The creators are aimed at a brilliant acting duet, and as an approximate guide they call the names of Tina Fey and all the same McCarthy. According to preliminary data, the story will be twisted around a witch hunter and a magician housewife who will have to join forces to eliminate a raging hungry witch who has returned from the past.
Unfortunately, the media does not have detailed information about at what stage of production the continuation of the history of the three witches is at present.