The Judge, It Follows and Focus

There was nothing new or profound about The Judge, a Robert Downey Jr vehicle, but a very reasonable and well filmed melodrama. My guess is that the star was looking for something completely different from his latest blockbuster roles and this is what he came up with. At least this was an original story, not an adaptation of a book. Director David Dobkin and Nick Schenk came up with the plot and the latter with Bill Dubuque wrote the decent screenplay. Robert Downey Jr plays a hot shot city lawyer returning to his roots (yes, we have seen this all before) for his mother's funeral and ends up defending his equally grumpy father, (Robert Duvall on top form) on a murder charge. In fact, all the acting is very good and the cinematography of rural Indiana superb. Fortunately the courtroom scenes are kept to a minimum while the film concentrates on the family drama. So very much my kind of movie, if not to everyone's taste.

 It Follows came with the sort of "unmissable" reviews that made me look forward to seeing something special. So it was a bit of a disappointment that, whilst it was an interesting and intelligent spooky drama, it failed to have me emotionally involved. And I could not see where many of the critics were suffering from nightmares after the showing of this supposedly horror movie. A 15 Certificate said it all. But again, a good original story, decent screenplay and competent direction all by David Robert Mitchell. And fair acting from the young cast. But what is it about deserted swimming pools for the climax to recent horror movies? Is this now a rule? Not only a reference to Let The Right One In ( as one critic mentioned) but far closer to the last act of the superior Jennifer's Body. 

Yet another original script, how good is that? Well not so good this time. Co-directors and writers John Requa and Glen Ficarra have devised a pretty silly comedy con thriller that is neither funny or thrilling. What Focus does have is Will Smith and Margot Robbie. The former is so relaxed he is almost horizontal while Robbie over does it trying to make up. Having said all that, the film looks good and the crazy twists and turns pass the time. If the ending had been better ( anyone could have come up with something not as stupid) it might have been fun, but unfortunately it wasn't.