Here in part two of our review of Focus/Refocus we take a look at the sex thriller's second half Refocus. Here events spiral downward into even darker depths as characters get closer to the resolution of the mystery and the body count rises. The sex is amazingly hot --so hot in fact that you may feel a little bit guilty enjoying it as the movie moves into darker territory. 

  In part two Cole Streets' Joe Wilder character finds himself inextricably involved in the whole sordid murder scene and he becomes much more interested in trying to solve the crime. Having seen enough similar mainstream movies we were able to solve the mystery fairly early and you probably will too but writer Dan Rhodes makes it a thrill ride nonetheless. 

  First off Joe watches in its entirety the sex video we saw only snippets of in the first half. This extended scene is arguably the hottest sex sequence in the movie and one of the best we've seen all year---and we rarely feel this way about three-way scenes. Again, as in the first half the scene is a mix hand-held POV video footage and regular film stock so there's an intimacy and spontaneity to the whole thing. It's a hot & sweaty, tattooed sex fest where each of three hot-bodied participants does just about everything--even as they're passing the video camera around. Steve Cruz as Dario Stefano is at his sexiest here both in enthusiasm, passion and overall performance. There's a good reason why he has gotten such critical praise and a large fan base over the years. He's joined by Adam Killian as Phillip Stanwyck (gotta love those classic film noir homages) & Ricky Sinz. as Sam. Like Cruz, Sinz is at his classic best----strong, powerful, verbal & manly even when he's getting fucked. Adam Killian is the newest of the three when it comes to appearing on camera but he is as good as his two co-stars. We found it amusing that Killian is in this scene doing video work because that is mostly what he has done in the porn industry up until recently. All three guys get vocal and downright nasty with each other, almost challenging each other to make the scene hotter and having "loads" of fun in the process.

              

  Here's where reviewing Focus/Refocus gets difficult again. As things get more complicated and secrets are revealed the premises of the sex scenes are even more connected to the story and thus more important to the resolution. So again we're going to do our best to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

  Ryan Raz gets to shine in the second half, continuing to get choice one-liners and witty remarks, all of which he delivers in a wonderfully dry Eve Arden fashion (movie buffs will know what we mean) But he also gets THREE sex scenes (only two of which we can talk about), the first of which is a very hot encounter with muscle daddy Bruno Bond who up till now has been a shadowy figure in the movie. They meet on the street and have a very spontaneous fling in Ryan's apartment. If you're turned on by contrasts this scene should fit the bill nicely. Watching hairy, dark-haired Bond is already a treat but seeing his naked muscle body with the blond smoothness of lean Ryan Raz adds to the excitement. Yes, you will find out some info about Bruno Bond's character but hard answers are yet to follow.

          

  In the next scene Cole Streets & Steve Cruz' characters come together although we can't reveal why or how. Again we've got a scene of interesting contrasts as the shorter darker Cruz and the tall hairy chested & vanilla Streets have a passionate flip-flop scene. As performers they have chemistry and as actors they work well together. Just as with the previous scene with Bond & Raz, this scene is pivotal but to reveal anything more would be heartless. We can say that it's very well shot & edited for maximum effect. Plus there's a nice Hitchcock homage included--watch for it.

 The next scene isn't very integral to the plot or theme so it's more like a respite before the climax of the film. At the adult bookstore Ryan Raz is watching as two customers Jason Crew & Brogan Reed are cruising each other in the aisles ad Raz is interested in getting in the middle of their imminent sex so he closes up shop and takes them into the backroom for a hot three-way. The scene isn't without it's humor thanks to a couple of circumstances and Ryan Raz' wisecracking.

 After this the story moves at rapid adrenaline-pumped pace leading to a few disturbing scenes and a climactic sex scene which definitely can't be revealed here.. All of this is exceptionally well-shot, well-composed & well-edited to great dramatic effect.

          

There are a few things about this second half that are notable and worth mentioning. For one thing David Taylor does appear in part two in a key role and though he doesn't have as much screen time, he makes the most of it. Again we're very impressed with his acting skills in a role that requires a fair amount of discipline.There's also a "porn within a porn" scene and you'll see Mitchell Rock in a cameo here. The good news is that you can see his entire solo scene as one of the extras on the disc.

 Speaking of extras each part of Focus/Refocus features an extra disc which includes the raw video footage shot by the performers during their scenes and a fifth disc features the rest of this footage culled from movie. Other extras include a video diary which accurately shows how much work and manpower went into the production.

 When all is said and done it's not an exaggeration to say that Focus/Refocus is a modern classic that really works as a movie AND a sex film. We're always amazed when two directors can work together so well and produce something cohesive so to have THREE directors it another thing entirely. Chris Ward, Ben Leon, & Tony Dimarco all have their strengths and individual styles but the way the whole movie plays out so seamlessly as to feel like only director is at work.  With films like this Raging Stallion  has raised the bar again and it's difficult to see how the studio is going to top this next year. It's really quite an achievement.