Focus Review
by Eugene Novikov (lordeugene_98 AT yahoo DOT com)December 12th, 2001
Focus (2001)
Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com/
"Those glasses, they... they make you look Jewish."
Starring William H. Macy, David Paymer, Meat Loaf, Laura Dern. Directed by Neal Slavin. Rated PG-13.
The Twilight Zone Movie did an excellent sketch about a bigot who left a bar and found himself in a world where he was the subject of all the bigotry. Focus, an emotional movie by first-time director Neal Slavin, working from a controversial novel by Arthur Miller, takes the concept and runs with it. Stylistically, the film is overcooked, but at least it's not simplistic; in many ways, it resembles The Crucible, with a similar message, though a less pessimistic outlook. And even when Slavin's camerawork is straight out of a tv commercial, which isn't surprising since he owns a tv commercial production company, it is still interesting.
In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the United States has been hit with an immense wave of patriotism, not unlike what happened on the homefront during America's involvement in World War II. Similarly, both surges had (and have had) both positive and negative effects. While both incidents inspired great support for the country's military efforts, both resulted, directly or indirectly, in the ostracism of a race of people. In 2001 the victims are Arabs and Muslims, in 1944, they were... Jews.
It doesn't seem to make sense at first. Why would Jews be prosecuted in the United States when the country was fighting against genocide directed at Jews? But anti-Semitism doesn't go away because of an act of war. It is inevitable, in fact, that some would see the war as the fault of the Jews, using the dubious logic that had they not been there it would not have happened. Such is the attitude in Lawrence Newman's New York neighborhood. Lawrence is a lowly personnel manager at a lowly firm that stipulates "Christians only" in its Help Wanted ads. When he accidentally hires a woman who is Jewish, he is reprimanded; in his caution, he sends away the next girl who comes in because her name, Gertrude Hart, "sounds Jewish."
Oh, and Lawrence can't see too well. His employer tells him to take the day off and get himself glasses. He does, and man, it's good to see again, but something's not right. His mother tells him that they make him look Jewish. He's not concerned until a few days later, he is demoted at work because he "doesn't make the right impression." And the local racist group, a makeshift Klu Klux Klan led by Lawrence's neighbor Fred (Meat Loaf) and currently fixated on driving the Jewish convenience store owner on the corner out of the neighborhood, wants to know whether he is with them or against them.
The irony is that Lawrence has never given the matter a thought. He's not racist, and has no deep-rooted resentment against anyone, but he has been told what to think so long that he has begun to passively accept the hateful doctrine of his neighbors. When asked to take a stand, he is reluctant. In his heart, this isn't right. The irony isn't just that he isn't Jewish, it's that his peers don't really care.
Focus is a distinctively odd-looking movie, with Slavin using every extreme camera angle he could look up, and filling his scenes with oh-so-significant slow motion almost to the point of abuse. So the movie is literal, there's no doubt about that. It's also obvious, and somewhat clunky. But it's compelling and not in the least pedantic; Slavin has made a conventionally entertaining film out of material that should be anything but that.
He has help from William H. Macy, who is again amazing as a regular joe thrown into an extraordinary situation and David Paymer, who brings dignity to a shameless Christ-figure character. The surprise, though, is singer-turned-actor Meat Loaf, who is menacing and downright frightening as Lawrence's bigoted neighbor. Focus may not be an important film, but it's an easy pill to swallow.
Grade: B+
Up Next: Heist
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