Review of Focus (2001) by J D — 05 Apr 2008

Lags in a few places, but it's anchored well by a superb performance by the always great William H. Macy. Like other movies about anti-Semitism and racism, this one sometimes almost feels like an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" type of movie because while the protagonists try to live their normal lives, the bigots act more and more irrational, but act out in such a way that what they do seems clinical, cold, and logical in their own warped minds, making the protagonist have to "act out" and "cause problems".

Meat Loaf also turns in a surprisingly strong performance as the next door neighbor, part Cro-Magnon, part backyard BBQ buddy, part pod person bigot. It takes a bit to start moving, but when Macy and Paymer (also doing a great job) start debating, the soul of the movie is really revealed.

I didn't quite get the ending, but I'm going to be reading Miller's novel to get a more in-depth look at this well-done story.