Focus

(MA15+) ★★★½

Director: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa.

Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez, Brennan Brown, Gerald McRaney, Rodrigo Santoro.

"'Neighbours', you say? Nope, never heard of it."

CONMEN and hustlers are like flying cars - they seem really cool in the movies but in real life you'd hate them (seriously - most drivers are bad enough without adding the ability to move vertically into the equation).

Watching someone steal watches and wallets with ease or rip off unsuspecting marks and make their millions with clever ruses at the expense of honest hardworking rubes is a giddy thrill on celluloid, whether it be seeing Newman and Redford in action in The Sting, or Clooney and co take down casinos in the Ocean's movies, or in Ridley Scott's under-rated Matchstick Men. Even the ones based on real-life con artists hoodwink us into barracking for the criminals, like in the recent American Hustle or Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can.

The truth is we abhor these rip-off merchants and petty crims in reality - the filmic appeal comes from the fantasy of it all and the peek behind the curtain to see how the magician does their tricks.

As such, Focus offers that fantastical appeal and is great fun (if morally bankrupt), filled with far-fetched schemes that are always two steps ahead and which fully embrace the ridiculous world of the cinematic swindler.

Will Smith stars as Nicky, the seasoned pro who runs a team of pickpockets, shakedowners and flimflammers that roll into American cities around the time of big events to lift a few wallets, nick a few credit cards, and launder the resulting spoils before they leave town.

When novice grifter Jess (Margot Robbie) tries to fleece Nicky, the veteran takes pity on her, teaches her some tricks of the trade, and eventually lets her join his team.

But Nicky is also falling for Jess, which goes against one of the many aphorisms trotted out by Nicky during the course of the film.

As such, Focus is a "rom-con" - just as fixated on its inventive scams as its tightrope relationship between Nicky and Jess.

With both aspects, the question of where the lies start and end is the intriguing one, and given the subdued but sturdy performance of Smith and the skyrocketing star of Robbie, both the rom and the con are worth watching.

Thankfully there's a good level of humour in there too, and writer-directors Ficarra and Requa (previously responsible for the excellent I Love You, Phillip Morris and Crazy, Stupid, Love) get the mix right.

How much you're willing to settle into this world of bluffs and double-crosses, as well as its inherent silliness and lack of morals, and just go along with the over-the-top ride will dictate how much you enjoy the film, but if nothing else it's a solid diversion - it's no Ocean's 11 or The Sting but it's pleasant enough.

There is a tendency to watch this type of film with a mixture of scepticism and anticipation as you try to figure out the next play in the shell game. Ficarra and Requa know the rules and attempt to subvert them as much as possible to avoid being predictable, but ultimately the con movie has to go down a certain way.

Focus is like a low-stakes poker game with friends - it's a bit of short-term fun that you shouldn't expect to take anything big from.