Focus -- Movie Review #JPMN

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

• Focus (2015) -- Displays flashes of excitement, but is ultimately unfocused, 5/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- http://bit.ly/JogJPMN TWEET a review with the #JPMN hashtag, and have it featured! ~~ Movie Night Reviews ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- http://bit.ly/MNYear Browse By Rating --- http://bit.ly/MNRating Trailer Reviews ------- http://bit.ly/MNTrailers ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- http://bit.ly/Jogwheel Jon's World (2nd channel) -- http://bit.ly/JonWorld The Microwave Show --------- http://bit.ly/TMSArchive uStream Live Shows ---------- http://bit.ly/JogLive ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- http://bit.ly/JonTW Facebook ----------------------- http://bit.ly/JonFBFan Instagram ----------------------- http://bit.ly/JonInsta Patreon -------------------------- http://bit.ly/JonPatreon Letterboxd ---------------------- http://bit.ly/JonLetterboxd T-Shirts -------------------------- http://bit.ly/JogStore ~~ Technical Credits ~~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2014 Computer ------- http://bit.ly/JAV010 • Jogwheel Productions © 2015 • ~~ Review Script ~~ Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, this romantic dark comedy more than doubled its $50-million dollar budget within a month of its February 27, 2015 release. Will Smith stars as an accomplished con artist, who runs into an old flame while working a job, sending his plans and feelings for a loop. Once the most successful and bankable star in all of Hollywood, the Fresh Prince Of Bel Air has unfortunately been on a bit of a slide lately, after the disappointing "After Earth" - but thankfully, he's at top form here. Endlessly charming and confident, he embodies the rich and powerful person all men want to be. He's shrewd and sharp, but has a penchant for gambling and the beautiful Margot Robbie. Following her breakout turn in "The Wolf Of Wall Street", the Australian is a surprising match for Smith - both intellectually, and physically, regardless of their 22-year age difference. Advising his new protégé on the strategies of a successful con, Smith tells Robbie that you need to be willing to "die with the lie." Despite their constant thievery and duplicity, these are compelling characters you'll find yourself rooting for: even if they rarely show remorse for their reprehensible actions. The R-rated plot is rife with twists and turns, many coming at the expensive of the audience as well as the other characters. But the surprises are often ridiculous and unrealistic, which doesn't help the already disjointed plot. The 105-minute film is paced well enough, but feels almost like two entirely disconnected stories. "Focus" is the first major feature to be edited on Apple's Final Cut Pro X, but its frequent flashbacks and other non-linear narrative devices only serve to confuse the viewer, rather than strengthen the story. Individual scenes and characters provide fantastic moment and great entertainment however. A high-stakes impulse betting spree against eccentric millionaire BD Wong during a football game becomes particularly tense. Later, a private negotiation constantly interrupted by the deafening noise of passing Formula 1 cars provides unique drama. Bright colors and locations fill the 16:9 frame, while Nick Urata's score has an upbeat energy to it that gives the movie a decidedly playful vibe. Showcasing the lucrative underworld of con artists where the twists are expected, and the characters can't be trusted, this movie often feels like a modern, sexier version of the 1970s classic, "The Sting". But where that film excelled was with a huge reveal in the final moments that locks everything together in a satisfying way. The ending here however was sloppy and rushed. With some wonderful one-liners, fun criminal scenarios, and an extremely gorgeous leading-lady, there's plenty to enjoy about this film... but all of its moving parts sadly don't amount to much. "Focus" displays flashes of excitement, but is ultimately unfocused - I thought it was just ALRIGHT. ~

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Focus -- Movie Review #JPMN