Heist
by numbers
While 21 purports to be the true adventures
of six M.I.T. students who take Las Vagas casinos down through
counting cards, it also reminds you of Las Vegas, that
slick TV series featuring James Caan. 
At
least the zippy visual style is similar – not that there’s
anything wrong with that. In fact it’s a pretty good thriller
of its type, making the grade through casting and camerawork.
Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) a student at M.I.T.
has a wonderful grasp of mathematics. Shy but brilliant, Ben comes
to the attention of charismatic though slightly sinister Micky
Rosa (Kevin Spacey), his maths instructor. Turns out dodgy Micky’s
heading up a team of exceptional students to raid Las Vagas casinos
with fake identities and a complex system of counting cards to
win big time at Black Jack. He finally convinces Ben to join the
group, as Ben badly needs $300,000 to get him through Harvard
Medical School (obviously not a cheap place to train). Considerable
encouragement is also given by another member of the team, the
pert Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth).
So the fine young geeks, thanks to their brilliance
at card counting and secret signals between themselves, begin
to do very nicely at various casinos’ expense, yet in this
they come under the scrutiny of casino fraud expert and seriously
tough guy Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne). Although not illegal,
the casinos take a very dim view of this practice of card counting.
Things come unstuck when Ben becomes enamoured of
the high life in Vegas, and overreaches himself. Results are looking
fearfully sad, but a devious plot is fostered that results in
a justifiable conclusion after a double-cross or two. There’s
a stylish chase scene towards the end, with a very mobile cameraman
doing a masterful fleet-of-foot act.
The film is broadly based on the book Bringing
Down the House by Ben Mezrich, apparently a true story.
Director
Robert Luketic (Monster-in-Law) makes much of the colour and excitement
of Vagas keeping the action bubbling along at a smart pace, with
a few bouts of “commercial style” imagery on the playing
tables. The card-counting system is partially explained, though
the details are glossed over by the quick editing; so before you
rush off, be aware that to make millions you’ll need an
extraordinary numbers memory and some hefty training. Just watch
the students’ teamwork at the casinos.
Jim Sturgess (The Other Boleyn Girl) playing
Ben comes across as nice kid caught up in his own greed, after
being treated like royalty when he’s a big winner. You almost
can’t blame the lad. His shy engaging manner and quiet grin
gets him through the worst of situations. Kevin Spacey sails through
his role comfortably as the genial yet threatening crook, with
his cold eyes and mocking smile harking back to The Usual Suspects.
Laurence Fishburne (Bobby) has no trouble either playing
the tough security officer – it’s his sort of thing.
Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns) looks fetching as the
romantic interest but doesn’t take the basic plot anywhere.
The other young members of the cast generally work well together,
especially in the gambling sequences.
Most will find 21 an agreeable lightweight
thriller. How much truth is in the story? Well, it’s hard
to say, but at least the movie makes Las Vagas an electric spectacle
on the silver screen if that’s your thing. Rolling Stones
sum up over the end credits with “You Can’t Always
Get What You Want”. There’s much truth in that.
John Bale
