Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4198 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-09-08
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 119 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
An unconvincing exercise in moral complexity, 21 is based on Ben Mezrich's book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe) plays brilliant blue collar scholar Ben Campbell, whose doubts that he'll win a scholarship to Harvard Medical School compel him to join a secret, M.I.T. gang of math whiz kids. Under the silky but chilling command of a math professor (Kevin Spacey), Jim and the others master card counting --the statistical analysis of cards dealt in blackjack games. The team lives a humdrum existence during the week, but on weekends in Sin City the students are rolling in cash, frequenting exclusive clubs and feeling on top of the world. Ben even gets the girl: a comely fellow card counter played by Kate Bosworth. Despite all the success, Ben feels ethically compromised and indeed director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Across the Universe), in the old tradition of American movies, plays it both ways where fun vices are concerned. On the one hand, it feels so good --on the other, ahem, we know it's wrong. That studied ambivalence proves wearing after a while, making the most interesting character in the film a casino watchdog played by Laurence Fishburne. A master at reading the emotions of gamblers beating the house with a scam, he's admirable for being good at his job, but repellent for wrecking the faces of counters in casino dungeons. He's all about moral complexity in the tradition of anti-heroes, and a truly provocative element in an otherwise superficial movie. --Tom Keogh

Synopsis
Inspired by a true story, 21 mixes Las Vegas casino wheeling and dealing with college-kid angst. Kevin Spacey is crafty MIT professor Micky Rosa, who trains gifted students to count cards and then flies them out to Vegas to raid the blackjack tables between classes. At first they rake in a bundle, but then catch the unwanted attention of tough-guy security chief, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) who wants to prove himself before he's replaced by face recognition software. Maths genius Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) originally joins the ring in order to come up with the $300,000 he needs for tuition money, but he's also smitten with the ring's resident babe, Jill (Kate Bosworth). When he finds out Professor Rosa hasn't been dealing entirely from a straight deck, Ben's high-end shopping spree dreams turn sour (though card counting is not illegal) and the battle of wits is on, no second chances given. Spacey is in his preternaturally calm, morally compromised element, stealing scenes left and right; Fishburne brings the hangdog depth; and director Robert Luketic (LEGALLY BLONDE) succeeds in making the film glossy, stylish and thrilling. 21 is based on the bestseller BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE by Ben Mezrich.

Customer Reviews

Sit back put on this DVD and enjoy
I really enjoyed this film, though before I saw it I did have my reservations. Its a film, supposedly based on true events (arn't they all) about a card scam. I was worried that the plot would be hard to follow and the scam too difficult to understand. I need not of worried, the film is well directed and produced and its a hour and a half of good wholesome enjoyment with a few great twists which keep you alert.

I find that the sign of a good film is that you look at your watch occassionally thinking I hope this movies doesn't end soon and in this case that is exactly what I wished.

A great performance by Kevin Spacey - I reckon his performances are always first class and a good all round film to enjoy which won't stretch your intelligence.

A safe bet
Eagerly anticipated this movie to see if it did the excellent book justice - overall it just about does, although carnt help feeling that it only skims the surface of the written version. That aside its entertaining and does a good job in portraying the highs and lows of Vegas. Overall its well acted -esp Kevin Spacey.
If youve read and enjoyed the book you'll like it but prepare to be slightly disappointed, if you havent sit back and enjoy the ride.

No-one likes smart arses
"21" is a thoroughly entertaining movie about a group of talented,but corruptable Boston Maths students,who under the tutelage of their scheming Professor, played superbly by Kevin Spacey,use "card counting" techniques to make a killing at Blackjack tables in Las Vegas casinos. The main character ,Ben, gets roped into the scam looking for a way to pay his college fees, but soon gets sucked into a glamourous lifestyle of easy money which ends in tears when a thuggish security man,played by Laurence Fishburne catches on to their scheme. The characterisation in "21" is good ,the acting is excellent and the film is absorbing from start to finish.