Let me start with what stood out most to me...Will was giving me Denzel! I mean that wooing, romantic, tall, dark, and handsome lead actor! I was caught off guard by this, because I've never gotten that from Will. (Others may have...closest I can think of is maybe Mike Lowrey from Bad Boys). There was something different about this character. I think it was his seriousness. The film had plenty of funny moments, but even when he was part of the scene, Will was not the funny/silly character. It was typically whoever was in the scene with him. It felt different and refreshing. I liked it!
Now the plot had some holes in it that I just can't let go. But first, the gist of the movie is...Petty thief (Jess - Margot Robbie) and petty thief #2 (random guy) fail miserably at trying to con third-generation super con-man, Nicky (Will Smith). Nicky takes Jess under his wings and into a con-artist ring to pull off several cons over a few days in New Orleans. The biggest one being a series of failed bets that ended with one successful bet that doubled all of the money they earned over those few days! Catch is...Jess had no idea the bet was part of a major scam that had started days before, and she was the one who closed the scam! That's right, she finished the scam without even knowing it was a scam until it was over. Now by this time her and Nicky had messed around and she thought a relationship was building, but a short drive from the scene of the bet the car stops...Nicky gives her $80k and gets out of the car. She cries the scene out...and then we are fast forwarded 3 years into the future.
Nicky is on a new scam in Buenos Aires. In the middle of the scam he runs into Jess, who is now dating the man who is paying Nicky to run the scam. Nicky seems to have had a change of heart about Jess and successfully woos her back to him. Unfortunately, being the con-man that he is, Nicky didn't just take the man's money to run a scam for him, Nicky ran a scam on the man too! And the man was not having it!
So Nicky and Jess find themselves tied up in a garage, as he of course thinks they were in on it together. Though we know they weren't (would have been an interesting joke on the audience, but indeed they were not). Turns out Jess wasn't dating the man, but was rather back to her "small" time scam of stealing watches (though this man's watch was worth $200k, so not so "small" time). On the other hand, Nicky reveals that his original plan for scamming the man wasn't working out, so he went to plan B. Now that Jess was in the picture as the man's girlfriend, he once again played Jess and used her to complete a scam of his without her knowing! This revelation of course leads to Jess crying again!
Realizing they are about to die, Nicky decides he wants to let the truth out, but just as he is about to he gets shot in the chest by the man's bodyguard. So now you're like, did they really just kill him? I mean blood was oozing out of his chest, and he was fading out. The man leaves and tells the bodyguard to clean up the mess he created. But then the bodyguard ends up helping Nicky. Apparently he shot him right in the spot that wouldn't hit the heart or any major arteries, though it did hit a lung. Jess realizes this is the famous con-man move Nicky told her about when they first met. When his father and grandfather were working together to con some other men in Poker, the other men caught on. Con-men die never breaking the act of the con. In fact, before they even get to that point, to prove they aren't working with someone, they shoot their partner. And this is exactly what Nicky's father did to Nicky's grandfather that night at poker, but Nicky's grandfather died. Well, Jess learns the bodyguard and Nicky were partners, and the bodyguard was pulling the same move by shooting Nicky. Even bigger shocker, she learns the bodyguard is Nicky's father! Well Nicky's father tapes up his wound and drives them near a hospital. Then he takes all of the money. Yep all of the money. Jess walks Nicky towards the hospital and says not to worry...Nicky sees she has that $200k watch she was trying to steal on her arm. So guess they're good now?
So here are the issues I have...
1) Jess just so happens to pick a master con-artist to try to rob?
2) Nicky just happens to end up right behind her the next morning? How did he find her? And more importantly why? I mean, when she asks him to mentor her, he says he can't b/c he's going out of town. But then I guess the answer is he wanted her to follow him out of town to use her in the betting scheme.
3) Jess, a petty thief who couldn't do a simple robbery, managed to track Nicky down all the way in New Orleans? And this was all a part of Nicky's plans? A bit far-fetched.
4) Three years after ditching her she happens to be dating the racer in Buenos Aires that Nicky is about to scam?
5) The bodyguard, who turns out to be Nicky's partner and father, was searching his hotel room for someone he said Nicky picked up from the airport? I mean the guy checked every room and even put a table in front of the door to ensure no one could leave. The only people in the room were Nicky and the bodyguard (Jess was hiding). So who was the show for? Wouldn't he know who Nicky picked up from the airport, since they are working together? (Nicky picked up his partner, Farhad - played by Adrian Martinez - he gave a lot of comedic relief to the film). I suppose we should assume after the ending that the show was for Jess. But still don't see how it would be necessary.
6) At some point, Jess talks about how she went to Harlem to find out about Nicky. On this trip she also found out who Nicky's father and grandfather were. During the scene I was honestly thinking to myself...single white female going around Harlem asking questions (and getting answers) about a major con-man. Really? Then in the final scenes...I was honestly thinking...She finds stories about his three-generation con-family in Harlem, and it turns out Nicky's father is White not Black? Yep, the bodyguard is played by Gerald McRaney (yep, that's right, Major Dad...if you're old enough to remember that show). I suppose all of that is possible...but I for one feel it's a bit of a stretch and couldn't do a review without at least mentioning it.
7) FINALLY...are we to believe that Jess and Nicky are in love? Nicky used this girl to make millions not once, but twice! The first time he walked out of the car, left her crying, and didn't see her for three years. When he did see her three years later, it was unplanned. In other words, he wasn't thinking about that girl. And then when she finds out the second time he used her for a scam, he went into detail about how he played her by pulling on her emotions (telling her she changed him, getting her emotionally attached, etc.). Once again, she was crying. And to be honest, he showed no remorse. So we are to believe Jess actually took him back? And we are to believe he actually loves her? HAHAHA, I can't Hollywood. You are asking too much of me here.
Overall, it was entertaining, clever, and funny. Just not that realistic.