Movie Review of "21" (2008)

“21” is a recent movie based on the experiences of the MIT Blackjack team. The lead role is taken by Jim Sturgess who plays the role of Ben Campbell. Ben is a fictional character who is based on Jeff Ma, who takes a role in the movie as a blackjack dealer to whom Ben refers to as “my brother from another mother”. The team is a group of card counters who bet big when the count favours them, using table spotters and signals to find spots where their money is best wagered.

Professional Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) is the leader of the team and uses his role as Professor of Mathematics to find students with the necessary skills to master and utilise his strategy. It turns out that Rosa is a former hustler of Blackjack, but we do not learn why he does not play until later in the movie. His excuse of “I used to play, now I’m retired” does not seem to ring true, and we learn why later.

The group are thwarted by Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) who is a tough old-school security man for the casinos that uses violence to dissuade card counters from plying their trade in his casinos. The casinos, however, are using new technology to catch card counters and he faces a struggle to survive, making him ever more desperate to prove his worth before time runs out.

As the group implodes thanks to the other big player Fisher becoming jealous of Campbell’s natural ability and skill, Ben takes a loss and the more ruthless side of Mickey Rosa comes out. Campbell, aware that casino securities are catching up on his strategies asks for one last trip, with Rosa as the other big player. But all is not what it seems, for everyone. The ending is satisfactory and the film ending suggests there will not be a sequel. It is not a biopic of the MIT blackjack team, more of a drama based loosely on the documented live events.

The movie was critically slammed for not providing a true image of gambling using card counting techniques. It made the edge look a lot larger with the count showing the team winning and winning easily. There was no mention of the card count and the true count and casinos actually welcomed the movie as it gave a distorted view of card counting. However, with a budget of $35 million the film grossed $157,000,000 making it an extremely successful movie at the box office. One criticism of the characters were they were too egotistical and real gamblers would not behave the way they do. However, the film does play on the exuberance of the young players involved getting carried away so their behaviour, in my opinion, is realistic when placed into the context of the film.

Jim Sturgess acts the role of the vulnerable and starry eyed Campbell extremely well. It is no surprise he has gone on to further acting success. Spacey is accomplished and ruthless as Professor Rosa. Kate Bosworth plays the experienced worldly wise character of Jill who loves the game well and the supporting cast are all able to play their slightly caricature-esque roles very well indeed. Laurence Fishburne, famous for his role as Morpheus in the Matrix Trilogy, is a convincing villain, but it is a testament to his acting ability we still empathise with his reasons for his violence. Although not a true depiction of gambling in Las Vegas, this movie is entertaining and full of good acting.

Anyone who is a fan of poker, Las Vegas, gambling or Blackjack and casino games will enjoy this movie. In fact, anyone who enjoys an engaging film with a good ending will find this movie satisfying. I would give this movie a five star rating, if we gave ratings.

By Malcolm Clarke