Focus

The cons in the film John Requa made with Glenn Ficarra were written alongside a consultant. Sleight of hand expert Apollo Robbins joined in 2011, while it was still a script, and taught Will Smith and Margot Robbie to lift. Nicky’s line comparing attention to a spotlight comes from Robbins’s TED talk, and ideas about cognitive overload and subconscious priming were carried straight into the Super Bowl section. Robbins credits Robbie’s background as a dancer, noting that some steals resemble a cross body lead in salsa. The more consequential choice sits in the cutting room. Many scenes were shot in more than one version. Requa describes having four movies on hand: if an audience stopped believing a con, the scene could be swapped for a more persuasive or funnier take. Editor Jan Kovac spent about eleven months on it, working in Final Cut Pro X. Jess was first cast with Kristen Stewart, who left over the age gap with Smith, and the part went to Robbie. That is why, across one hundred and five minutes, the cons are not explained to an even depth. Some are walked through and others never opened. A good fit if you want the Super Bowl section resting on directed attention rather than finger work. Not for you if you need every con resolved.