dvd of the week
In the stylish and slight Focus, Will Smith plays Nicky, an extremely successful and absurdly smooth conman who meets a blonde seductress named Jess (Margot Robie) when she tries to con him and fails miserably. Jess asks Nicky to teach her to be a better con artist, and while he is resistant of developing any sort of relationship, he is clearly drawn to her. The plot follows one con after another, numerous fake-outs, and a lot of flirting. The twists are many, and I was surprised often by where writers-directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (I Love You, Philip Morris and Crazy Stupid Love) take us. Smith is excellent as Nicky, and Robie is a delight as the smart, skillful, often hilarious, often tough bombshell. But the best performance in the film is BD Wong as Chinese gambler Liyuan, who Nicky battles at a turning point in the film. Liyuan’s smile is both endearing and sinister, and Wong energizes the film just when things seem to be getting dreary.
