At an upscale Manhattan hotel, debonair con-man Nicky Spurgeon (Will Smith) challenges conniving Jess Barrett (Margot Robbie), who begs to become his protégé. Later, she eagerly joins Nicky in New Orleans, where his highly-trained team cleverly rob unsuspecting tourists in the French Quarter. Predictably, a romantic relationship develops, but once the job is done it's over. Or is it? Meeting again in Buenos Aires, Nicky hatches a Formula 1 auto car racing scheme that forces him to match wits with a rich Chinese gambler. Saying more would be a spoiler. While it's often fascinating watching Nicky instruct Jess in the art of deception and psychological grift (courtesy of technical advisor Apollo Robbins, a sleight-of-hand artist-turned-security-consultant, whose initial claim to fame came from pickpocketing Jimmy Carter's Secret Service agents) filmmakers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa's episodic, globe-trotting film is uneven and Robbie and Smith share little chemistry. Even with strong support from a cast that includes Gerald McRaney, B.D. Wong, Rodrigo Santoro, and Adrian Martinez, this is no more than a mildly entertaining diversion. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (8 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “Masters of Misdirection: The Players in a Con” featurette with sleight-of-hand artist consultant Apollo Robbins (11 min.), the cast segments “Will Smith: Gentleman Thief” (6 min.) and “Margot Robbie: Stealing Hearts” (4 min.), an alternate opening (4 min.), and bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a so-so thriller.] (S. Granger)
Focus
Warner, 105 min., R, DVD: $28.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $44.95, June 2 Volume 30, Issue 3
Focus
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