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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Unfaithful (2002) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
A deceitfully simple erotic thriller that goes from idle 0 to 100 so suddenly it could cause whiplash. A lot of things I love about this one: the trio of stellar performances from Gere, Lane, and Martinez; the way it reaches its cold tendrils into numerous different genres; and while it isn't as visually attractive as ššÆš„š¦š¤š¦šÆšµ šš³š°š±š°š“š¢š (still looks great though, as is standard with Lyne) it's eight billion times more subtle. Though perhaps the highest nuance for a film that so easily could have been another anemic dump into the ever-sterilizing late-90s-esque trashy erotic thriller genre is how all of these events and the subsequent domino effect they set in motion don't really start out from your standard 'nondescript failing marriage' trope. This is a relatively happy, normal, even healthy family which still ends up... in an Adrian Lyne movie. It gives a false sense of hope and thus almost this feeling of normalcy, like even though you're a model citizen something of this severity could still somehow happen to you or someone you're close with, which quickly becomes rather traumatizing. Has a lot of solid banter and shit-your-pants "get me the fuck out of here" moments strung together nicely. Wasn't sure where it was going at first, but it all made sense in the end.
5 Minute Movie Guy (379 KP) rated Focus (2015) in Movies
Jul 1, 2019
The problem with Focus is that it treats its audience like we're all as dumb as nails. While the film itself is entertaining, its cons are unconvincing, and it's not nearly as smart as it thinks it is.
After watching Focus, I thought back to a great line from Will Smithās con artist character Nicky Spurgeon, in which he proclaims, āThereās two kinds of people in this world. Thereās hammers and nails. You decide which one you want to be.ā Itās a powerful and chilling line of dialogue that emphasizes Nickyās need to exert power and control over others in order to be successful in his indecent business. The problem with the film, however, is that it treats its audience like weāre all as dumb as nails.
Unfortunately, therein lies the filmās biggest problem. While I do think there is some merit in its depiction of the con game, Focus for the most part is unconvincing. Not only did I feel like I was being conned by the characters, but I felt like I was being conned by the legitimacy of the cons themselves. Most of them are quite a stretch, to say the least, but more troublesome is that their successful outcomes donāt ever feel truly earned. Everything just cleans up too neatly, due to some inane level of planning that relies on far too many improbable factors and additionally treats every mistake as if it was part of the plan all along. Therefore, trying to take Focus seriously is something of a brain-numbing exercise. While the film itself is fairly entertaining, itās not nearly as smart as it thinks it is.
As a viewer, it feels like thereās not much of a pay-off in watching them pull off their successful schemes, and thatās largely because weāre left out of the loop. We the audience are being played the whole time. Weāre not given any room for our own participation and guesswork because the movie gives us no clues to help us solve the puzzle. Yet itās inviting us to look for answers by emphasizing the importance of being focused and aware, while withholding any and all necessary clues to help us make sense of what is happening along the way.
In Focus, Will Smith plays con-man Nicky, who meets a beautiful woman named Jess (Margot Robbie) while dining alone one night. After inviting Nicky to her hotel room, Jess attempts to con him with the help of a friend, but ultimately fails. After all, you canāt hustle a hustler. Being eager to learn more, Jess wants Nicky to take her under his wing and teach her the art of his craft. What ensues is a steamy relationship and a partnership in deception.
Jess proves to be a natural in the con game, quickly earning the respect and admiration of Nicky, who allows her to join his thirty-strong crew. This team of crooks racks up millions through swindling, hustling, and pickpocketing. Itās fun to watch the action unfold, but a little disconcerting that it glorifies these criminals while theyāre plainly stealing from innocent strangers. Make no mistake about it, Focus portrays them as the good guys, and offers little to no consequence for their devious actions. Still, itās hard to root against this cast of con-artists, and youāll want to see how they manage to get away with it all.
Instead, Focus tries to make you believe there isnāt any con in play at all, only to later pull out the rug to reveal a highly ludicrous scenario. It feels dishonest and cheap, like itās essentially cheating its way to the desired outcome without doing the work to get there. Itās selling its own capers short and taking the fun out of them. Thus even the climax of the film feels disjointed because we canāt believe what weāre seeing and just have to watch incredulously as we wait for the inevitable far-fetched explanation.
Despite the shortcomings of the cons, I would like to express that the film still does plenty of things right. First and foremost, Will Smith shines in his performance, adding enough perplexity to his character to keep you on your toes. He makes it hard to tell whether or not his character Nicky is bluffing, which helps add to the tension of scenes. Even when Nicky appears to break character and let his guard down, I still found myself guessing about his true intentions. While the movie is overall somewhat of a letdown, I can safely say that Will Smith absolutely nails it.
The only issue I had with Will Smith is his characterās obsession with Margot Robbieās Jess. Iām sure many guys could attest to a Margot Robbie obsession, but Iām not one of those guys. While the chemistry between Smith and Robbie was fairly good, it did seem more than a tad blown out of proportion. The romance between them felt rushed and more lustful than loving. Still, Robbie gives a respectable performance of deception and allure.
I would like to particularly applaud the work of B.D. Wong, who plays a high-stakes roller that gambles with Nicky during the Super Bowl, in what is my personal favorite scene of the movie. The tension between Wong and Smith is absolutely electrifying, and they play off of each other extraordinarily well. I was on the edge of my seat throughout their whole encounter, only to have the moment spoiled by an absurd and unlikely final outcome.
The other performances are all adequate, though most of the characters are given little screen time, aside from Nickyās perverted, overweight associate Farhad (Adrian Martinez) who musters up a few laughs. The dialogue can be pretty hit-or-miss, and the plot is rather thin, but the production values are outstanding. This is a film that is unmistakably beautiful to look at, with gorgeous sets and superb camera work. One particularly admirable scene has the camera placed in the passenger seat focused on a man who is gearing himself up before he deliberately crashes his car head-on into another. Itās a moment that feels like a strange detour, and yet itās so bizarre and memorable that it just works.
Focus has the makings of an excellent film, but it regrettably drops the ball by fumbling the con game. If only the cons themselves werenāt so far-fetched and sloppy, the whole movie would have been a whole lot more effective. Despite the filmās insistence that you look closely, its most pivotal moments donāt hold up to any sort of analysis or scrutiny. In other words, this is a film that would be best enjoyed out of focus.
(This review was originally posted at 5mmg.com on 1.31.16.)
Unfortunately, therein lies the filmās biggest problem. While I do think there is some merit in its depiction of the con game, Focus for the most part is unconvincing. Not only did I feel like I was being conned by the characters, but I felt like I was being conned by the legitimacy of the cons themselves. Most of them are quite a stretch, to say the least, but more troublesome is that their successful outcomes donāt ever feel truly earned. Everything just cleans up too neatly, due to some inane level of planning that relies on far too many improbable factors and additionally treats every mistake as if it was part of the plan all along. Therefore, trying to take Focus seriously is something of a brain-numbing exercise. While the film itself is fairly entertaining, itās not nearly as smart as it thinks it is.
As a viewer, it feels like thereās not much of a pay-off in watching them pull off their successful schemes, and thatās largely because weāre left out of the loop. We the audience are being played the whole time. Weāre not given any room for our own participation and guesswork because the movie gives us no clues to help us solve the puzzle. Yet itās inviting us to look for answers by emphasizing the importance of being focused and aware, while withholding any and all necessary clues to help us make sense of what is happening along the way.
In Focus, Will Smith plays con-man Nicky, who meets a beautiful woman named Jess (Margot Robbie) while dining alone one night. After inviting Nicky to her hotel room, Jess attempts to con him with the help of a friend, but ultimately fails. After all, you canāt hustle a hustler. Being eager to learn more, Jess wants Nicky to take her under his wing and teach her the art of his craft. What ensues is a steamy relationship and a partnership in deception.
Jess proves to be a natural in the con game, quickly earning the respect and admiration of Nicky, who allows her to join his thirty-strong crew. This team of crooks racks up millions through swindling, hustling, and pickpocketing. Itās fun to watch the action unfold, but a little disconcerting that it glorifies these criminals while theyāre plainly stealing from innocent strangers. Make no mistake about it, Focus portrays them as the good guys, and offers little to no consequence for their devious actions. Still, itās hard to root against this cast of con-artists, and youāll want to see how they manage to get away with it all.
Instead, Focus tries to make you believe there isnāt any con in play at all, only to later pull out the rug to reveal a highly ludicrous scenario. It feels dishonest and cheap, like itās essentially cheating its way to the desired outcome without doing the work to get there. Itās selling its own capers short and taking the fun out of them. Thus even the climax of the film feels disjointed because we canāt believe what weāre seeing and just have to watch incredulously as we wait for the inevitable far-fetched explanation.
Despite the shortcomings of the cons, I would like to express that the film still does plenty of things right. First and foremost, Will Smith shines in his performance, adding enough perplexity to his character to keep you on your toes. He makes it hard to tell whether or not his character Nicky is bluffing, which helps add to the tension of scenes. Even when Nicky appears to break character and let his guard down, I still found myself guessing about his true intentions. While the movie is overall somewhat of a letdown, I can safely say that Will Smith absolutely nails it.
The only issue I had with Will Smith is his characterās obsession with Margot Robbieās Jess. Iām sure many guys could attest to a Margot Robbie obsession, but Iām not one of those guys. While the chemistry between Smith and Robbie was fairly good, it did seem more than a tad blown out of proportion. The romance between them felt rushed and more lustful than loving. Still, Robbie gives a respectable performance of deception and allure.
I would like to particularly applaud the work of B.D. Wong, who plays a high-stakes roller that gambles with Nicky during the Super Bowl, in what is my personal favorite scene of the movie. The tension between Wong and Smith is absolutely electrifying, and they play off of each other extraordinarily well. I was on the edge of my seat throughout their whole encounter, only to have the moment spoiled by an absurd and unlikely final outcome.
The other performances are all adequate, though most of the characters are given little screen time, aside from Nickyās perverted, overweight associate Farhad (Adrian Martinez) who musters up a few laughs. The dialogue can be pretty hit-or-miss, and the plot is rather thin, but the production values are outstanding. This is a film that is unmistakably beautiful to look at, with gorgeous sets and superb camera work. One particularly admirable scene has the camera placed in the passenger seat focused on a man who is gearing himself up before he deliberately crashes his car head-on into another. Itās a moment that feels like a strange detour, and yet itās so bizarre and memorable that it just works.
Focus has the makings of an excellent film, but it regrettably drops the ball by fumbling the con game. If only the cons themselves werenāt so far-fetched and sloppy, the whole movie would have been a whole lot more effective. Despite the filmās insistence that you look closely, its most pivotal moments donāt hold up to any sort of analysis or scrutiny. In other words, this is a film that would be best enjoyed out of focus.
(This review was originally posted at 5mmg.com on 1.31.16.)