Set during World War II, FOCUS is based on Arthur Miller's first published novel. It is the story of Lawrence Newman (William H. Macy), a man who has settled into a relatively anonymous life. He lives with his mother, has held the same job for twenty years, and rarely strays from his daily routine. He even witnesses a woman being attacked outside his window and remains silent, despite a criminal investigation. His life changes significantly, though, when he gets a new pair of glasses that make him look Jewish. He suddenly loses his job and realizes he is under heavy scrutiny from his Brooklyn neighbors. His search for new employment leads him to Gertrude (Laura Dern), a woman whose Jewish features kept him from hiring her at his previous firm. They fall madly in love, despite the contrast in their personalities: Gertrude is outspoken while Lawrence is more shadowy. Her physical features cause even more conflict with his neighbors and soon Lawrence must choose between standing up to them or finding a way to fit in, while grappling with his own bigotry and fears.
Photographer and first-time director Neal Slavin makes expert use of color to give the film great visual depth. This moving, subtle work is enhanced by an outstanding ensemble cast, including David Paymer and Meat Loaf Aday.
(24 votes)
2.
Neal Slavin's surreal adaptation of Arthur Miller's 1945 novel Focus is as didactic as it is genuinely harrowing. Written as an illumination of the rampant anti-Semitism that Miller experienced as a young man in wartime New York, the film is a suffocating fable of the perils of conformism, which repeatedly corners the viewer into wondering what he or she would do in Lawrence Newman's shoes. Set near the end of World War II, Focus posits a grim, nightmarish outcome to the end of the war where patriotism has eroded into xenophobia and growing paranoia.
The Union Crusaders, following the inflammatory rhetoric of a nationally broadcast radio preacher, have begun to openly blame the Jews for the war and threaten all non-gentiles with bodily harm. As the meekly protestant Newman (William H. Macy)--recently demoted at work because his new glasses make him look "too Jewish"--soon becomes a target in his own home, he is forced to open his eyes to the hatred surging throughout the city and his own past silences and collaborations. While the script is relentlessly one-dimensional in its message, strong performances by Macy, Laura Dern (as Newman's leftist love interest), and Meat Loaf (as Newman's menacing neighbor) deliver anxiety and fear presciently reflective of today's climate. --Fionn Meade
(22 votes)
3.
"A thunderhead of suspense." -Stephen Holden, The New York Times
Set in New York during the height of World War II, Focus recounts the unraveling of an American community when the identity of a man (William H. Macy) and his wife (Laura Dern) are mistaken. Slowly ostracized at home and work, they learn the value of self and solidarity as they struggle to maintain dignity and find happiness. Focus marks the directorial debut of award-winning photographer Neal Slavin, and is adapted by Kendrew Lascelles from the Arthur Miller novel of the same name. The film stars William H. Macy, Laura Dern, David Paymer and Meat Loaf Aday.
(21 votes)
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