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21 - Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Robert Luketic

Threat advisory: Guarded - General risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

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).

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film drama true casino blackjack pontoon 21 card counting MIT gambling Las Vegas

Persons of interest

Jim Sturgess .... Ben Campbell
Kevin Spacey .... Mickey Rosa
Kate Bosworth .... Jill Taylor
Laurence Fishburne .... Cole Williams
Aaron Yoo .... Choi
Josh Gad .... Miles Connoly
Jacob Pitts .... Fisher
Jack McGee .... Terry
Liza Lapira .... Kianna
Sam Golzari .... Kameron
Spencer Garrett .... Stemple
Ben Mezrich .... Author: Bringing down the house: the inside story of six MIT students who took Vegas for millions
Peter Steinfeld .... Screenwriter
Allan Loeb .... Screenwriter
Robert Luketic .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

21 official movie site
21 film production notes
21 QuickTime movie trailers
Awards and film festivals:

Studios and distributors:

Sony Pictures Releasing

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

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.