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FOCUS Send This Review to a Friend
Few people realize that Arthur Miller wrote a novel called "Focus" published in 1945 and set against the background of World War II. It was gripping at the time and now, as a film directed by Neal Slavin, the story not only is still gripping but is even more interesting in light of the place Miller has earned as one of America's greatest playwrights. The film, showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival, has something to say against the ever-lurking danger of prejudice, which threatens to break out anew in the present war against terrorism.
William H. Macy, in another one of his acute performances, plays Lawrence Newman, who is single and works in a New York office. He finds himself the target of prejudice when he wears glasses, which his boss for some reason thinks makes him look Jewish. It falls to Newman to interview prospective employees, and into his office to apply flounces Laura Dern as Gertrude Hart, dressed sexily and flaunting her charms. She clearly doesn't fit into the all-American image the firm would like, and he rejects her. Knowing the score, she tells him off.
Consumed with guilt, Newman leaves his job and he and Gertrude strike up a romance. But a web of prejudice and danger begins to confront them as we are clued into a right-wing, anti-Semitic action anchored in his neighborhood. He has been friendly with Fred (Meat Loaf Aday) who lives next door, but Fred belongs to a rabid group. When hostility is directed against a Jewish news dealer, it becomes time for Newman to run risks and takes sides.
As did Miller's novel, the screenplay by Kendrew Lascelles builds tension. The action almost seems isolated, underscoring an ominous feeling as trouble escalates. Dern gives a strong performance along with that of Macy's, although she overdoes the sexy aspect in the early scenes. But "Focus" succeeds admirably in bringing to life Miller's work on screen and it turns out to be right on the money in terms of timeliness even though it harks back to the era of World War II. A Paramount Classics release.
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