Focus
Short description
Focus is a crime comedy-drama about Nicky Spurgeon, a seasoned con artist who takes on Jess Barrett, a young woman just starting out in the world of swindling. As he teaches her the tricks of the trade, the two become romantically involved, but the relationship complicates their work, and Nicky ends things abruptly. Three years later, their paths cross again in Buenos Aires during a high-stakes motor racing event, where Jess has become a far more confident and dangerous figure. Nicky is preparing an elaborate scheme of his own, and her reappearance threatens to unravel it.
The film was directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who also wrote the screenplay. It is the third feature they directed together, following I Love You Phillip Morris and Crazy, Stupid, Love. Will Smith leads as Nicky, with Margot Robbie as Jess, alongside Adrian Martinez, Gerald McRaney, Rodrigo Santoro and BD Wong. Denise Di Novi produced, and the production was handled by Warner Bros. Pictures with RatPac Entertainment, Zaftig Films and Di Novi Pictures. Made for a budget of 50 million dollars, it took in 159 million dollars worldwide.
On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.6 from around 294,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.9 from more than 8,000 votes. A film critics' rating of 5.8 from 228 reviews places it below both audience scores. The credited cast numbers 80, with 144 crew members.
What's left behind the scenes
- After Ryan Gosling left the project, the lead role was offered to Brad Pitt, but he turned it down, as did Ben Affleck, who ultimately also left the project due to scheduling conflicts.
- Emma Stone, Michelle Williams, Jessica Biel, Rose Byrne, Olivia Munn, and Kristen Stewart were all considered for the role of Jess, but ultimately the role went to Margot Robbie.
- The role of Farhad was offered to Art Lange and Omid Djalili, but both actors declined.
- Margot Robbie was vacationing with her brother on an island in Croatia when she received a call offering her an audition for the role of Jess. She arrived at the hotel at 6 a.m. Her flight was that same day. In 20 minutes, she packed everything, took a catamaran to the main island, and then took a bus to the airport. After waiting 6 hours at the airport, she finally flew to France, where she had to wait another 6 hours for her flight to New York. Upon arriving in New York, she discovered her luggage was missing. Ultimately, she still made it to the audition without makeup, in denim shorts and a shirt. Will Smith was late for this audition. When he walked in, he said he had driven from Queens, to which Robbie replied that she had just flown in from an island off the coast of Croatia, but still arrived on time. According to Robbie, she felt that this ultimately helped her get the role.
- Filming took place in Buenos Aires and New Orleans.
- When Farhad tells Jess in a summer cafe how bad things are for Nikki without her, the glass in Jess's hand disappears and reappears.
- To devise and stage the original movements of pickpockets and train Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and other actors, the directors invited world-renowned expert Apollo Robbins, known to many as "The Gentleman Thief".
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
