Focus (2001 film)

• William H. Macy: Lawrence Newman
• Laura Dern: Gertrude Hart
• David Paymer: Mr. Finkelstein
• Meat Loaf: Fred
• Kay Hawtrey: Mrs. Newman
• Michael Copeman: Carlson
• Kenneth Welsh: Father Crighton
• Joseph Ziegler: Mr. Gargan
• Arlene Meadows: Mrs. Dewitt
• Peter Oldring: Willy Doyle

Focus is an American film drama from the year 2001. Directed by Neal Slavin, wrote the screenplay Kendrew Lascelles based on a novel by Arthur Miller from the year 1945.

Action

The action takes place during the Second World War. The entrepreneur Lawrence Newman marries the job seeker Gertrude Hart, which first sounds too Jewish name it. The couple move to Brooklyn. There they are mistakenly taken for Jews and confronted with anti-Semitic prejudices. The couple became friends with the Jewish immigrants Finkelstein.

Reviews

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun - Times on 9 November 2001, the film was not realistic. He acts like an attempt to look like a socially critical film of the 1940s.

Desson Thomson wrote in The Washington Post, the film suited better as an aid in teaching in a high school as an art.

Awards

The film won the Political Film Society Award for Human Rights in 2002. William H. Macy in 2002 won a prize at the International Film Festival Karlovy Vary, Neal Slavin was nominated for another award at the festival. Neal Slavin was nominated in 2002 for the Grand Prix of Flanders International Film Festival. The film was nominated in 2002 for the sound editing of music for a Golden Reel Award.

Background

The film was shot in Toronto and Uxbridge (Ontario). The world premiere took place on 9 September 2001, at the Toronto International Film Festival. On 2 November 2001, the film came in the selected cinemas in the United States, in which he grossed about 718 thousand U.S. dollars.