Focus

I'm a big fan of con-artist books and movies; Slanted Jack is my (so far only) entry in that genre.  I tend to go to con-artist films as soon as they appear.  With Focus, however,  I let the mediocre critical (55%) and audience (58%) ratings on Rottentomatoes deter me--until the other day.

I'm so glad I caught it in the theater.  Despite those ratings, I enjoyed this movie from start to finish, as did everyone in the group that went with me.  Neither the overall plot nor the many sub-plots are simple, but that's exactly as it should be:  we're talking con artists here.  The cast members turn in uniformly good performances, with both Will Smith and Margot Robbie very good in their lead roles.  The dialog is snappy and often funny, and the film is full of grace notes.

If you also enjoy con-artist films, I encourage you to ignore the reviews, avoid reading any spoilers, and head out to catch Focus.