pantekhis_iacovos

The Cobbler starts off with an interesting premise and we are thrown in this fantasy world with a vintage funny Adam Sandler (doesn't last long) accompanied by great music by Nick Urata and John Debney. The music is probably the best part of the movie and whenever it gets going it sets the tempo, the whole thing feels more enjoyable and the only half laughs and smiles come with that.

Dustin Hoffman and Steve Buscemi don't have too much to do, but when they appear on screen they seem to make the movie a lot more interesting and they deliver the mediocre lines with some much needed charisma. Come the second half of the picture, even Sandler can't keep his character interesting, he starts fading off and the movie seems to do much better whenever he is not in a scene. The movie fails even in its core and more pure sense of delivering a message about solidarity and the togetherness within a community.

Focus is a con movie and it's at its best when it's trying to con you into believing you know what is going to happen. The plot unfolds at a steady pace and you are left guessing what is going to follow. There are many twists and it's hard to keep up, as you would expect.

The regular cons work best in the first half, when the movie is trying to be fun and entertaining. During the second half of the movie the plot deepens and works around character development. That's when Will Smith and Margot Robbie come to life, they are at their best when they are given more to work with and they keep the movie interesting. However the movie gets caught juggling too many cons which by the end of the movie may feel just a bit flat; but still make for an unexpected and enjoyable finale.

Definitely worth watching. PS. The directors did a good job showing the importance of FOCUS in keeping the camera Focused at the right place.