Trailing Off: "Focus"

Will Smith

Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.

Trailer in Discussion

Directed By: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Written By: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Starring: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Rodrigo Santoro

- Preamble -

Here is an honest question: when was the last time that Will Smith lead a great movie? While I liked Men in Black III, I cannot say that he has done much of note since. Sure, he has had a cameo in Anchorman 2, but After Earth was a very strange vanity project that attempted to turn Jaden Smith into a sci-fi action hero, but instead gave people more reason to dislike M. Night Shyamalan. Well, there was an interesting film there, but the script was the big problem. Oh wait, Will Smith wrote that. It makes sense now.

The truth is that Smith is an intriguing pop culture figure. From his early days on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air to sometime in the mid-00's, he was a big box office draw. Then something happened and while he is still renowned as an iconic figure, he hasn't really proven himself that much with interesting vehicles. True, he did acquire two Oscar nominations, but he also has turned into the stereotypical action hero. With the changing landscape of action films, his choice to start up the dynasty of the Smiths, he seems preoccupied and there's been concern if he would ever make another interesting movie.

Which is why Focus immediately comes out as a welcomed surprise. It is an original property that doesn't seem to be rooted in big explosions or quirky sayings. He is trying something, well, fresh. Along with Margot Robbie, who is fresh off of an impressive turn in The Wolf of Wall Street, the cast looks impressive and the overall hope for an interesting new Smith movie could be in effect. Fingers crossed that this is the case.

- Dissection -

There's plenty of hope for the trailer based solely on execution. For starters, Smith looks to be having a lot of fun playing a cocky con, even if he still has to notify his status as a metaphorical black sheep. It is a lot of scenes of him overlooking other people doing his dirty work. There's not a lot to obtain from this trailer other than a lot of people will be conned and that Smith will be behind a lot of it. He has the swagger down pat, but what else does he really have? For the most part, the trailer delivers a perfectly serviceable entryway into the film. It could be a good rental.

Then comes the part that plays too much into a bias. The trailer decides to do the typical sympathetic angle and gets Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" in the mix. For starters, Ocean is a great artist whose "channel ORANGE" is a really good album. This song is on there and was a soul searching gem of the batch. To place it unexpectedly halfway through the trailer throws me for an emotional loop. I am suddenly invested, even if nothing really has changed about the content on screen. Still, the tension is heightened and suddenly I care. I don't know if it is because of the song or the fact that I went in with faint curiosity. Suddenly I care.

By the end, Focus has some potential. It may not be a return to prestige Smith, but it's a start down a road that hopefully sees him do interesting roles worthy of his charisma. Even then, there's not much beyond a familiar trailer here to suggest otherwise. By the end, it is middle of the road in quality, but there's something about Smith that makes sitting through it slightly more interesting. I want to know more before I invest in a ticket.

- One Sentence Sell -

Will Smith is back as a cocky con and he looks good doing it.

- Trove or Trash -

TROVE

It may seem like a left field call, but I liked what I saw in the trailer. It wasn't enough to make me run out to see it, but I suddenly feel like Smith can do something interesting. Considering that After Earth was abysmal, it will be a tough sell to make me believe that he is a gem of his former self. Still, Focus looks like it will at least be fun, which is something that Smith hasn't done in quite awhile. Let's hope he remains this ambitious.