Focus

Review by By Clint Morris

Some people go through their entire lives not knowing who they really are, or, even want to be. Some know who they are, but long to be someone else. Newman (William H.Macy) knows exactly who he is, and it's not of Jewish heritage.

Set in an anachronistic town, Focus examines the prejudice and paranoina of an America post World War II.

Lawrence Newman's liked enough. But in a preposterously trivial move, his former friends and fellow townspeople begin to turn on him, suspecting he is one of the Jews. All this because the man's got a new pair of glasses, that apparently make him look more Jewish.

That he should presuppose the same of Gertrude Hart (Laura Dern) solely based on her looks is obviously meant as some sort of object lesson, but Focus starts thrashing the dead horse once the two marry, only to find themselves progressively more secluded by their neighbours.

Watching all of this is the town shopkeeper and true-blue Jew, Finkelstein (Paymer), who warns Macy not to miscalculate people's ability to hate or, better still, castigate.

For all the voice it seems to possess, Focus falls flat. You can see the flat ending coming a mile off - but still William H. Macy can use it as a showreel to platform his inarguable acting talent. It can't be said for the bland Laura Dern though, who doesn't add anything to the believability of the key relationship, and in turn pulls an already unstable picture further to its demise.

Focus could have been a movie with a real message - and although it has minor merits; it's mostly Piss and Wind.

2.5 out of 5

Focus
Australian release: Thursday 9th May
Cast: William H.Macy, Laura Dern, David Paymer, Meatloaf Aday, Kenneth Welsh, Bryon Bully.
Director: Neal Slavin.
Website: Click here

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