Will Smith has taken on some heavy roles, including two that garnered Oscar nods (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness), but it's when he's playing a cheeky charmer, or suave sophisticate that he's at his most dazzling. He does the latter to a T in Focus, a cross between his 2005 romcom Hitch, and Ocean's Eleven.
Nicky (Smith) is a conman of the highest order. He meets Jess (Margot Robbie), a wannabe who's desperate to learn from him. Nicky is unconvinced, but when Jess proves her worth (in a spectacularly choreographed and filmed pickpocketing scene), he takes her under his wing - and starts to fall for her.
But after a spectacular haul in New Orleans, Nicky cuts things off, and sends Jess on her way. When, three years later, the two meet again, Nicky is on a new sting, working for Jess' race-car owning boyfriend. Who's playing whom? Can anyone trust anyone else?
The film is shot in bold, bright colours which add to the breathless rush you get from any good caper movie. The leads have an unexpected, brilliant chemistry, and twists and turns will keep you guessing right until the last five minutes.
It's just a shame the writers didn't think to clean up the language. If they had, this could have been a family classic.
Contains strong language