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Java Man Reviews "21" (Rated
PG-13)
Directed
by Robert Luketic.
Written by Peter Steinfeld & Allan Loeb, based upon the book
"Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich.
Starring Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence
Fishburne, Aaron Yoo, Lisa Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Josh Gad & Sam
Golzari.
Running Time: 122 minutes.
Overview...
Ben Campbell (Sturgess)
is a shy but brilliant MIT student who wants to
enroll at Harvard Medical School once he graduates, if only he can
come up with the $300,000 for tuition. His math professor,
Mickey Rosa (Spacey), recognizes his genius for numbers and
invites him to join his special "math club," a group of fellow
students who make weekly trips to Las Vegas to beat the casinos by
counting cards at blackjack. Why apply for a student loan
when so much easy money is to be made?
The Vegas lifestyle
soon seduces Ben -- as does one of his sexy-smart teammates
(Bosworth) -- and he begins to lose his way. Warily watching
all of the goings on is Cole Williams (Fishburne) the casino's
old-school security chief who is trying to figure out why the
weekly airbus from Boston seems to coincide with big losses for
his client's casino.
Review...
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3
out of 4
Java Mugs |
Based
on a real-life account of MIT students who won millions in Vegas
casinos in the 1990s, the screenplay adds Hollywood melodramatics
and romantic comedy tropes to an already remarkable story.
In other words, its a lot of fun... and if you ever had a
fantasy to beat the bank at your favorite gambling parlor, this is
the movie to see.
Sturgess and Bosworth are fine as the white-bread romantic leads,
but the supporting cast is far more fascinating, including Gad and
Golzari as Ben's nerdy pals, Yoo and Lapira as two of his colorful
teammates, and
Fishburne as the menacing casino cop.
But the
other actors might as well fold their cards when Kevin Spacey
comes to the table. Feel free to hiss, because that is
exactly the way he plays it; he chews up every scrap of scenery in
a performance which alone is worth the price of admission.
Watching a group of people sitting around playing blackjack is not
the most visually exciting experience you could imagine, which
provides a challenge for the filmmakers. They meet it by
employing extreme close-ups, imaginative special effects, flashy
camera angles and dynamic editing. Authentic backgrounds and
great-looking characters don’t hurt either.
Pay
attention to the card-counting lessons, and maybe you can make
some money on your next casino trip. Just watch out for a
mean-looking guy with spiky rings on every finger.
To Watch a Preview of 21
Click Here
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