Column:
'21' comes up a card short
Published April 1, 2008
“21” is a lot like a trip to Las Vegas. At first the bright lights, elegant architecture and high-energy atmosphere dazzle you. After a while, though, you become dazed and disoriented, and your mind is numb after what seems like hours of overexposure. Things seem to move at the speed of light, and you try your hardest to keep your wits and emotions reined in. By the end, you find yourself walking out into the bright sun, rubbing your eyes and wondering why you wasted your money.
“21” is loosely based on the events that occur in Ben Mezrich’s “Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions.” Naturally, Hollywood took out the believable reality and substituted it with foot chases and T&A.
Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess from “Across the Universe”) plays the protagonist, an MIT student looking to earn money for medical school. After being recruited by one of his professors (Kevin Spacey) to join a blackjack card counting team, Ben is thrown into the world of high rollers and big spenders. Soon Ben is consumed with being a different person each weekend and making more money quicker than he thought he could in a lifetime. And considering casinos don’t think too highly of card counters, Ben must battle not only his addiction, but also a loss-prevention big shot (Laurence Fishburne) that takes notice of Ben’s winnings.
As far as the plot is concerned, the story is formulaic and uninspiring. It doesn’t take long for the audience to figure out that Ben will be transformed from a doe-eyed math nerd to an addicted table jockey. All the events featured in “21” are alluded to in the preview, except for the climax (and even that is predictable).
“21”’s acting is lacking as well. Sturgess can’t generate sympathy for his downward spiral into Blackjack mania. Ben’s love interest (played by Kate Bosworth) is little more than eye candy to keep male viewers interested when the cameras aren’t on the cards. Spacey and Fishburne’s performances bolster the film some but not enough to make it work. I don’t think there’s anything less intimidating than an overweight Laurence Fishburne huffing and puffing at you.
The parts that hurt “21” the most are the “Hollywood” additions. While Mezrich’s book takes a detailed look into the team that emptied Vegas’ pockets, “21” focuses too much on Ben’s need to be someone else. Also, maybe it’s just me, but I’m confused by the fact that the main character in the film is white, while Jeff Ma (on whom the story is based) isn’t.
For all of its follies, “21” works as mindless entertainment for both poker pros and novices. High energy and a fast moving story save the film from being terrible. Unfortunately, instead of the plot focusing on the cunning play of the main characters, the bulk of it serves as a promo for 1-800-BETS-OFF. If you want a great Vegas movie, rent “Casino” or “Swingers.” Heck, even NBC’s “Las Vegas” is better, because “21” busts.
