User reviews

Slick camera work and some good performances rev up the technical quality of this fact-based story about a 21 year old MIT student named Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) who, along with his brainy Ivy League chums, travels to Vegas to win tons of money at the blackjack tables. Their sleazy math professor, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), leads the group. Rosa has devised an elaborate and conspiratorial card counting scheme that consists of code words and hand gestures. With all that preparation, the group's scheme does work ... for a while. And in the process, the shy, cautious Ben, who only wants the money for tuition costs, morphs into his alter ego, a person quite unlike his original self.

The film's pace starts off leisurely, then alternates between fast-paced Vegas casino action and periods of downtime wherein Ben and his girlfriend, fellow conspirator Jill (Kate Bosworth), talk shop and take in the high life. The story does have a villain, but it may not be who you think it is.

The script's dialogue is snappy and hip, and contains minimal tech jargon. "Variable change" is one such math term, and it has thematic implications toward the end, as the story twists and turns in ways that may surprise you. And "winner winner, chicken dinner" is the group's lingo for gambling success.

Production design is realistic and lavish; this is a big budget film. Color cinematography, by DP Russell Carpenter, is polished and slick. There are lots of elaborate camera dissolves and close-ups. The best parts of the film are the close-ups of the characters at the blackjack tables. Film editing coincides with plot pacing, and ranges from slow to super fast. Acting is all-around good. Kevin Spacey gives his usual topnotch acting job; Sturgess and Bosworth also give fine performances.

It's not a perfect film. Background music was noisy and rather nondescript for my taste. And I could have wished for more card playing, and less time spent on Ben's college buddies in the first Act; the result is that the film gets off to a slow start. Still, the script is credible, and stays close to its book source "Bringing Down The House" by Ben Mezrich.

Thematically relevant in today's world of greed and materialism, "21" is a terrific film, one that has greater import than other films, because the events in "21" really happened. And the fine performances and polished visuals enhance the overall look and feel, to create a film that is both engaging and entertaining.

21 is worth seeing on a restless Friday or Saturday night with friends, but it isn't anything more than that. The film features nice performances from actors Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne, as well as nice entries from the lesser known ensemble.

However, it doesn't take a film expert to notice some of the more...awful lines. "That's is impressive software."...come on, seriously? Just bad writing.

And the flow of the plot is painfully cliché, up until the end where things are admittedly pretty unpredictable. The ending was unexpected, but it worked and made up for earlier plot points that were predictable.

"21" is entertaining, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Considering the risky pleasure generally associated with gambling and the seductive thrill of watching a heist or scam unfold, it should come as no surprise that 21, a film which combines the two aforementioned premises should excel at being enjoyable. And while the film may be very familiar ground to anyone with in any experience with Ocean's Eleven style crime capers, and the majority of the film's plot points verge on being almost laughably predictable, it is executed with enough exuberant flair to make it worthwhile in the midst of its formula.

A slow start gives the necessary exposition as to how a thoroughly ethical young MIT student (Sturgess)'s desperate need for money to attend Harvard medical school leads him to join a team of mathematical geniuses trained in blackjack card counting who routinely rip off Las Vegas casinos during weekends between class. However, this opening proves overlong, overly predictable, and largely unnecessary, dragging far too much before plunging into the film's real fun as Sturgess and his team are engulfed by the seductive glamour of Vegas and the thrill of the huge monetary takes. Some judicious editing, clearing away such unnecessary subplots (such as a robotics competition with Sturgess' tiresomely stereotypical nerdy friends) could have resulted in a far more streamlined and faster paced film.

Some viewers may take offence to the "Hollywoodizing" of the MIT team, with team members of different ethnicity largely shoved to the background in favour of the typically gorgeous Caucasian leads, a disconcertingly common practice in modern day cinema. However, the flashy MTV style cinematography and editing ably capture the engrossing spectacle of Vegas, and once the film gets going, it would be difficult to deny the sheer enjoyment of being swept up in the heady rush of quick wealth and all of its hedonistic trappings.

The film's quality cast add credulity to the frequently underwritten characters they portray. Jim Sturgess once again impresses as the ethical math prodigy slowly corrupted by a world of superficial glamour, his endearing charm putting an intriguing enough take on the "troubled but well meaning hero" archetype. As one might expect, Kevin Spacey effortlessly steals the show as the charismatic but ruthless professor managing the MIT card counting team, and Spacey's easygoing yet commanding presence is a profound boost to the film. Kate Bosworth contributes a typically flat performance, but given her token 'inevitable love interest' role, she fails to detract much from the film's overall quality. Lawrence Fishburne adds class, much needed dramatic weight and moments of grim humour to his antagonistic burly head of casino security, gradually catching on to the MIT team's scamming.

While the age old adage of 'style over substance' certainly holds true here, 21 may essentially epitomize the modern Hollywood crime caper film, but the formula hasn't quite run dry enough to overly detract from the enjoyment factor. The film's snappy visuals and strong casting are mostly enough to make up for a largely uninspired and frequently weak script. However, fans of similar works will not be disappointed, and for those willing to forgive the film's frequent delving into the wells of convention and accept entertainment over profundity, 21 should prove an ideal watch.

-7/10

This film screened at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. It is a reasonable well-made based-on-a-true-story film that tells the story of a group of MIT students who attempt to make a fortune counting cards in Vegas. The screenplay apparently plays pretty fast-and-loose with the version told in the book. Never-the-less, the acting is excellent - especially Jim Sturgess in the role of the lead student. Honestly, his accent was so good that I didn't realize - until he came on stage afterward - that he was British. He does a great job with the mannerisms to give you a real sense of the character's evolution. Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne are solid - although Fishburne's role is fairly small. The minor characters are not as well-developed as they could have been. The cinematography of both Boston and Las Vegas is quite good, especially on the big screen. It's an interesting story, but they could have edited down a bit to make it move a little quicker. This is a good film, but it probably could have been a lot better.

21 is a movie about game, money and greed and also about how someone can lose his self control when it's all about making "easy money"…

In the materialistic world we live nowadays money is the center of many things, even those which were supposed to have nothing to do with it, like love or friendship; so making "easy money" is a real temptation even if you have to lie, forget your old friends or to do schemes to achieve it! The main character of this movie can tell it very well…

It's a nice movie about this subject and it shows us the frightening world of Las Vegas casinos'. The plot is quite interesting and appealing and the cast is also good. I score it 7/10.

A great young cast tell a whirlwind story that zips in places, but drags slightly in others. Kevin Spacey steals the show as the mastermind behind the MIT card-counting team (who are all remarkably glamorous - wonder if they were in real life?) The cinematography captured the bright lights of Vegas particularly well and the sheer fun and excitement of what they were doing was well communicated to the audience. It plays the twists and turns in a similar way to the Ocean's series and there was a flavour of those here. My 12 year-old son thought it was great and although there were some adult themes it was played in an easy-going harmless style.

"21" was the official Opening Night Film of the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. The film is based on the true story of a group of MIT students who use their math skills to "beat the house" at blackjack in the Las Vegas casinos. Robert Luketic ("Legally Blonde") directed the Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb adaptation of Ben Mezrich's bestselling book "Bringing Down the House."

"21" is pure Hollywood all the way -- slick and polished, like the wardrobes and personalities inhabited by the kids in their transformation to high rollers. The tight ensemble cast includes Kate Bosworth and Jacob Pitts as team players and Laurence Fishburne as a security chief with a massive dilemma on his hands. But the show belongs to Kevin Spacey as professor Mickey Rosa, mastermind behind the escapade, and Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell, the reluctant recruit who drives the film as it barrels headlong to a breathless climax.

The script is clever, funny, and worthy of math geeks everywhere, and the widescreen action is as nonstop as that on the casino floor. Spacey is Spacey at his best -- just the Kevin we know, nothing more, nothing less -- and that's good enough. Sturgess, a Brit playing an American here (quite well, by the way), proves that he is destined for stardom in the States.

In the intro to the screening, Luketic explained how Spacey had bought the rights to Mezrich's book, leading to his having to fight to win the actor over and let him direct the film. Memo to Kevin: thank you. And, whatever you do, wait for the end credits. The stunning remix of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is almost worth the price of admission.

After Reading Ben Mezrich's "Bringing Down the House", upon which this movie is based, I was excited to the movie. I am usually let down by movies that are based on books, but that was not the case this time.

Although there were a handful of cliché parts of the movie, all in all it was excellently done. The visual effects were well done, and the acting on the part of Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, and Kate Bosworth, was exemplary. Some people may criticize Spacey for his 'gusto', but I believe his portrayal of Mickey was stellar.

The movie had suspense, a solid plot line, scattered funny scenes, and a good ending. The people I went with, none of whom had read the book, found it an even better movie than I did. If you like the movie enough, I recommend reading the book for a more complete story.

This film is about a group of mathematical geniuses trying to make lots of money from Las Vegas by playing Black Jack.

The start of "21" is too slow, and I think they could have cut out a lot of scenes to make the pace quicker. Black Jack is a fast pace game, but the film does not give that pressing pressure during the game. I would also have liked to know why everyone in the team is in this business venture, but the film only explains why Ben is in. This would give the other members of the team more development and depth. In the film, Kianna and Choi are nothing more than mannequins that give signals one in a while. It's a pity that their characters are not explored.

Though they explain the communication codes well, they have not explained the points system that is central to the whole plot. I was so lost about those +15 and +16's that it killed my enjoyment.

It's also annoying that they keep going to the same casino, which causes their downfall. If they were so smart, why did they not think about this?

"21" follows the rise (and ultimate fall, and what happens afterward) of a college math wiz recruited by his professor to outwit the blackjack tables at Las Vegas and make a ton of money. It's a well made movie with lots of class and style, and if you aren't turned off by the notion of filthy lucre, then you are bound to enjoy this.

The movie works well because of its cast. Jim Sturgess, the young male lead, is outstanding. He does a great job of transitioning from initial uncertainty to eventual acceptance and ultimately relishing his new "career." He's eminently likable and you can't help pulling for him all the way.

Kate Bosworth is lovely as his love interest, always impeccably polished. She looks a bit old for the part of a college student, and especially her style of clothing in the casinos (while ravishing) is not quite right for a 21-year old. I wish more buildup had been devoted to her relationship with Sturgess, but the movie is all told from his angle. Best of all, Kevin Spacey is dead-on as the ringleader. He is cool, efficient, very sharp with every line. As always, he always manages to steal every scene he is in.

There is also a nice subplot about these aging casino security agents, who are being phased out in favor of software recognition systems. It gives the movie more depth and interest, and ultimately you can't help realizing that these guys, while "villains" in one sense, are also "heroes" in another.

The look of the film is fabulous, well worth consideration for art direction. It's all about Vegas, but not over the top, somehow. You never blame the character for falling into the trap, because it is all so addictive: the cash, the clothes, the fabulous rooms (it's almost worth seeing the movie just to see those penthouse suites!). The editing and camera work are awesome. They did an especially good job zooming way in on the cards, to where they almost become characters in the story. But it never gets technical, it never dwells on splitting 8's or hitting a soft 17 or anything like that. Even if you know nothing about the game (and I know very little), it won't impair your enjoyment of the movie.

It's not a very deep movie, but it does have insight into human character and motivation. It's mainly just a lot of fun to watch. I give it a solid 8 (maybe shading towards 8-1/2).

In this exuberant, smart and fast-paced drama/comedy, there is no denying that you can't have fun watching a hard working, but financially struggling kid, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) become seduced by the wily king of card-counting Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey). It is good to have thrown in such a veteran actor like Spacey into a mix of new comers like Campbell, Kate Bosworth or Aaron Yoo. Also Spacy produced the film, based on Ben Mezrich's autobiographical novel "Bringing Down The House" which chronicles the uprising and downfall of the group of card-counters. Campbell is a hard-working kid that uses his intellect to arouse the attention of his mathematics teacher, who just happens to be the leader of a group of intelligent cheaters who go to Las Vegas every weekend to, well, count-cards. At first Campbell is skeptical in taking part in such an activity, with a history as unnerving as it is, but being informed that there is no danger and it is not at all illegal, he rethinks, because in order to get into Harvard Med, he needs 300,000$. Mickey informs him that within a month of joining them on their escapades, he will have the money easily. The humor is spread through the film, the dramatic elements are the dangers that the weary kid faces, being Casinoss what they are with security, and the serious points about what greed and desire do to you. Campbell said he was only in for the money he needed to get into Harvard, but it is harder to stop then he thinks. That is why Spacey's role as Mickey is so important, the mentor is both guiding them on the table, and off the table. He was more right about Vegas then anyone. Director Robert Luketic's trip from chick flicks like "Legally Blonde" and "Monster-In-Law" to this was quite a voyage, but there is a sub-text that remains true to his conception that 'the law is the law, and heck if were gonna break it...'. And the lead protagonist in this film really developed from the quiet, geeky kid to the partying and greedy monster that Vegas spawned was a very down-hill, bumpy trip that would land him right back to the drawing board, but the end is one that came to no surprise, but to my regret, I can't tell you just yet. See it yourself, it was a fun trip. Funny.

It's a good movie, but with so many other recent movies about casinos and heists its flare isn't that great if it's your watching it in this day and age. Predictable in every way but still keeps you engaged.

Usually a story based on actual facts makes for a great watch. However this movie had quite a few moments that questioned the believability. I gave it a 7 out of 10 purely based on the entertainment value. As I watched the movie I tried to forget that it was based on actual events so I would not be so focused on trying to believe some of the things the characters did that I am sure the real students did not do. For instance returning to the same casino over and over made for some contrived drama but would be very unlikely given the intelligence of those involved. I did learn a little bit about 21 and the ideal of card counting but again it was more entertainment. If I were to rate it from the actual events perspective I would only give it a 3 out of 10. Kevin Spacey nailed his part as he usually does

I was lucky enough to see this film for free at a special screening in greater London as part of a market research by the film industry. even though it was free i would have paid good money to see that film. but I was presently surprised about how good the film was and everyone seemed to agree that the film was really good. I thought it made the card playing parts actually riveting even though i am not a card player myself. i thought the acting performances were all good especially that of Kevin Spacey's. In terms of the story. In many ways it reminded me of all the good things that was in the BBC TV show hustle. But in a much more real way. On the down side, you may see the ending coming and there is a romance part of the film that feels unnecessary. However it is a very slick film that gets away with it. I would say that it clearly the best film in this genre of film. I enjoyed it more than films such as Confidence and the Oceans 11 type films. I would highly recommend it to anybody when it eventually comes out in April!! I would have thought that they would cut down and re-edit it a bit on the basis that it was quite long. however it kept my attention for the whole film and that is not something that is also done during these sorts of films

21 (2008) tells the true based story of a shy yet educated college student in need of a large sums of cash, within the heavy intent of becoming an amateur cards player. Also starring Kevin Spacey as he features as the dissolute professor who recruits the brightest minds at MIT to count cards for guaranteed profit. Only human error can break the winning streak.

21 stars Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell. The film happens quickly and precise as the important moments of the film are present in a quiet manner. Ben immediately stands out in a class taught by statistician Mickey Rosa (Spacey), but when Mickey offers him the chance to win untold riches in the game of blackjack, Campbell declines on principle. It's only time will tell when fellow classmate Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth) and the steeply-rising price of college education, that Ben gets on board with the crew. 21 is seemingly interesting and entertaining but there appears to be several small flaws or parts that are rushed or not executed well. Altogether this film is quality for a one time watch.

I had the really cool opportunity to see an advance screening of "21" tonight. Having read the book when it first came out, I was a bit skeptical about whether it would translate well. I couldn't have been more pleased. Was it the same as the book? Of course not (except for The Green Mile, what was?) But it was action-packed, smart, fun, well-acted, well-directed, and just plain enjoyable. Spacey, Fishburne, and Bosworth are at the top of their games and Jim Sturgess is going to be a star. The visuals were great, the editing sharp, and the score right on point. I don't know whether to stay up all night re-reading the book or hop on a plane for Las Vegas to try to win while I still halfway remember the counting system. I enjoyed this as much as any light fare I have seen in a long time. I love George Clooney, but "21" is an order of magnitude better than any of the "Oceans" movies.

I wasn't averse to checking out this new film. That is until I started hearing all the bad press going around the circuit. So, with low expectations I finally took the opportunity to try it out and while there are definite problems, 21 is not too bad. Obvious and generic as far as story structure goes with a concept well known in America about beating the game of Blackjack, my main gripes were with the small stuff. What I found really working was the fun/entertainment factor. Even though I could guess how it would all turn out, the ride was a joy to partake in.

We have our genius student who did everything right throughout his school career to get into Harvard Medical. What does this kid have to complain about, besides maybe the lack of a stimulating social life? Well how about the $300,000 tuition necessary to actually attend the school itself. Thankfully for Ben, an opportunity presents itself very early on in the application process, for a full scholarship, that could solve all his troubles. A whiz at numbers and pretty much everything to do with analytical thinking, Professor Rosa sees a younger version of himself in Ben, the perfect choice to lead his team of card counters in wiping Vegas clean. Not only does this proposition play on Ben's need for money, but it also gives him an excuse to get away from the dweeby friends and drab school life. Las Vegas was calling and he was ready to live for the first time in his life. I mean, without any consequences—counting cards is not illegal—what did he have to lose? It turns out everything. I'm sure if you've seen the trailers at all you understand the magnitude of what happens in the "backrooms" of casinos, the place where those on the payroll inflict their own sort of justice. The thing about this film is that the moment when they experience what truly happens isn't until pretty much the end. We are allowed a nice exposition of how the team nurtures their new point-guard and gets him game ready. The relationships formed become stronger, the takes become bigger, and the theatrics more brazen. There is some nice movement in the shooting style, low angles, extreme close-ups of the signals, and nicely choreographed sequences with the cards flipping, giving a cursory introduction to the system being utilized. I really liked this aspect because it allowed me as the viewer to get a handle on what was going on. At first I was bored, hoping movie magic would gloss over the lesson, but in the end I am thankful for having watched it. All the process jargon is tempered with more humanistic moments to keep us grounded in the story too. Ben and Jill's friendship evolves; Ben begins to distance himself from the only two friends he had before his recruitment; Ben and ex-top dog on the team Fisher butt heads; and "eye-in-the-sky" Cole Williams watches everything from behind the scenes, looking for a huge bust in order to save his job from being replaced by computer facial recognition software.

It's all by the books, our hero faces the challenge of stepping out of the villain's shadow and then giving a little pain back himself. We watch to see how it all turns out, no matter how obvious it will be. The scholarship meeting bookmarks help frame the story nicely, showing what it was all for…$300,000 and he was out; sometimes it's not that easy. And because of that fact, the cast needed to be a good mix of personalities, all who could pass for geniuses and miscreants. Jim Sturgess has the exact unassuming charm needed to pull off the transformation from bookworm 4.0 student to the high-rolling playboy Ben becomes. He has an everyman quality about him perfect for us to put ourselves in his shoes and think whether we would have been able to resist temptation. The rest of the team is great as well with Aaron Yoo and Liza Lapira adding some humor, Jacob Pitts showing what fame and jealousy can do to your soul if not held in check, Kate Bosworth is solid as the love interest, and Josh Gad exudes soon to be millionaire dork with grace. The real surprise had to be Kevin Spacey though. I would have thought he'd chew as much scenery as possible and while he does overpower at times, the humor he portrays as a quick-witted professor and the glee when he gets to Vegas in the middle of the action really rings true for Rosa, as well as the serious times when his darkside comes out.

Besides the generic Hollywood quality on display, the small things are what bugged me. Should they have as much as they did? Probably not, but nonetheless they nagged at me the entire time. One is Sturgess' bad American accent. It is weird because when he plays the role, it's hardly noticeable; however, during every instance of voice-over narration, it was as if he was reciting dictation in a class where he was learning to hide the British. Another example is in the casting of Ben's friends. These guys are the epitome of geek and yet they are with Sturgess, a guy that can pass for geek if necessary, sure, but do they have to stick him with these two guys? The juxtaposition is so broad that it just stuck out like a sore thumb. Sometimes bashing the audience over the head isn't the best way to go about your business. Otherwise, a good effort for a brainless popcorn flick. One could do a lot worse.