MovieChat Forums > Focus (2015) Discussion > Industrial Pickpocketing...

Industrial Pickpocketing...


While this movie is intended as nothing more than a glossy diversion, I still find myself annoyed at the sheer scope of the operation, as well as Smith's character pedantically explaining how they never catch a major score that nets them yachts and boob jobs because he's grounded firmly in the real-world.

Thieves are not capable of cooperating at this scope outside of mafia-style organizations, which are bonded by blood and violence (and even here it seemed like everyone maintained their independence, and just seamlessly came together for a Super Bowl weekend). They throw a party, and everyone's taking selfies, which not only glamorizes a huge criminal enterprise, but rings false. Almost within certainty someone would have been busted in the previous six months, and traded police cooperation for prison time to throw their fellow scumbags in paddy wagons. Almost with certainty some of these thieves would put together their own crews to rob or rip-off Smith's enterprise.

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Yeah, at first I figured that was what the long con was going to be, that she was a cop.

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That probably should have occurred to me. ***spoiler*** The movie had a weird structure where the better part of the first half was all back story, and the back story within this back story (about the father) would play out in the second half.

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This pickpocketing industry was actually quite interesting. On the one hand, their work was very systematic and methodical. On the other hand, they seemed to be a group of free-lancers who do one "project" together and then go separate ways. A bit contradictory, perhaps, but still interesting.

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group of free-lancers who do one "project" together and then go separate ways.


But you have to wonder how they managed to get in touch with, what, seemed like a hundred or so people, and co-ordinated them all about where to go and what to do.

So someone had all their numbers on his phone and called them one by one? Hate to be him if he was ever picked up by the cops and they checked his phone.

And the hotel security wouldn't be wondering who all these people were, going in and out of this one hotel suite?

And all this loot laying around everywhere, and all these honest thieves not being tempted to walk off with any of it?

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