Inspired by the story of five students who changed the game forever.
Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy, brilliant MIT student who - needing to pay school tuition - finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favour. With unorthodox maths professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leading the way, they've cracked the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and by his smart and sexy team-mate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos' menacing enforcer: Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).
Special Agent Matti
This film has Hollywood written all over it: the glitz and glamour of Vegas; university geeks who walked off the cover of Teen scream, Teen queen and Teen scene; true romance; bad men getting their just desserts; good men learning good lessons. Despite being based on reality, 21 is so tied up in the American Dream™ that it loses touch with anything to which an ordinary person (let alone a mere intelligence analyst) can relate.
For Jim Sturgess this is an entry-level Hollywood studio film as he's too old to do teen high school romantic comedies. He does it well enough that he'll get lots more work. The actors playing the other "students" are interchangeable.
The drama, true movie 21 is directed by Robert Luketic and stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne.
M (Moderate violence)
123 minutes (2:03 hours)
Film: 15 May 2008
