Focus and American Sniper are two completely different films. I had high hopes for each of them (though one was a critical and box office hit while the other was not), and for the most part I though they both delivered.
Focus is a sexy, thriller, con film starring bona fide movie star Will Smith and relative newcomer Margot Robbie. Smith plays experienced con man Nicky who meets Jess, a beautiful young con artist who is new to the scene but has lots of potential. She joins Nicky in New Orleans for the 2013 Super Bowl. For a good half of the movie we see Nicky and Jess fall in love as they pull off this major con. It's all fine and good and Smith and Robbie have great chemistry, but the look into the past seems rather long. I would have preferred about a third of the movie to be dedicated to the flashback rather than 50%.
Flash forward three years and Nicky and Jess been separated since the big job. Nicky has seemingly been out of the game since New Orleans and is doing one last job for a rich businessman in Buenos Aires. Nicky is shocked to learn, however, that his apprentice and former fling Jess is now the businessman's girlfriend. What is she after? Can he trust her advances? Can she trust his?
Focus is fairly predictable and nothing new but it is nicely directed and the saturated cinematography and lush costuming adds to the richness and fantasy of the film. While Smith is charming as ever, Margot Robbie is a definite scene-stealer. I'm excited to see what she does next. I give Focus a 7 out of 10.
American Sniper dominated the box office for several weeks after its cinema premiere last year and for good reason. While "inspirational" movies are common and often popular, it's not often that a story is as emotional and heart-wrenching as American Sniper. Bradley Cooper is terrific as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in American military history. We see a little bit of Kyle's childhood, his short time as a bull rider/cowboy, and his beginnings as SEAL and eventually his career as "The Legend" sniper. Despite his success as a sniper, Kyle has trouble coping with the consequences of his chosen path, leaving his fellow soldiers in a war zone, and connecting with his wife children. The best scenes of the movies are of Kyle overseas acting as a sniper. These are definitely the most compelling and best-directed scenes. The weakest scenes are those of Kyle with his family. Sienna Miller who plays Kyle's wife is good but her character is not very developed, though she is based on Kyle's actual wife Taya.
Like most movies based on memoirs or autobiographies, American Sniper is a very broad version of actual events. American Sniper is perhaps Clint Eastwood's best film since Gran Torino; it's shot beautifully, has a solid script, and is lead by a good actor who makes the most unconvincing scenes believable. I give American Sniper an 8 out of 10.
What movies have you been renting from Redbox? Any ideas for what I should review next? Let me know with your comments below or email me at greer.daisykeats@hotmail.com.
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