21
Review by Zachary Keith Parker
From his unforgettable role as the serial killer, John Doe, in “Se7en” to his delectably evil performance as Lex Luthor in “Superman Returns,” actor Kevin Spacey makes his sneering villainy seem entirely effortless. Regarding “21,” Spacey’s performance as Micky Rosa seems to represent the whole movie.
In the beginning two-thirds of the film, his character has some typical Spacey-talk (read smugly clever) but does not play as large a part until the last third of the film, where the whole film twinkles like Las Vegas lights through chase scenes and plot twists.
The delayed glee seems to come from a kind of self-conscious attempt to make a middling story into something “dazzling.” It’s only when the filmmakers, like Spacey’s character, let loose and have fun that the audience starts to really enjoy the film as well.
Writer Alan Loeb gets help from the “Be Cool” and “Analyze That” writer, Peter Steinfeld, in adapting Ben Mezrich’s book, “Bringing Down the House.” Their adaptation is a decent (read mediocre) version that focuses mostly on the relationships of its lead, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), to Jill (Kate Bosworth), his friends, and Micky.
Even as an amazingly intelligent MIT student, Ben cannot get a scholarship into Harvard Med School, so in order to raise $300,000 to get into the program, he joins Micky Rosa’s card counting team and wins hundreds of thousands of dollars counting cards at blackjack tables in Las Vegas.
In the process, he begins to develop a love relationship with Jill and a deadly reputation as a card counter in casinos with Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne). Furhter complications arise when , during the weakest parts of the film, Ben tries to resolve his friendship with his two MIT nerd friends who lecture him on living “rightly” and getting his life priorities straight.
Eventually, between financial troubles, beatings by Cole, and betrayal by members of the card counting team, Ben anxiously begins to plan bigger schemes to take in larger amounts of winnings.
All in all, “21” is best described as “Rounders” with an “Ocean” movie atmosphere. It might seem unfair to always compare movies to others instead of taking the movie by itself. However, “21” does not really inspire people to play blackjack like “Rounders” did for texas hold’em poker, and it does not start to roll the momentum and amuse audiences like an “Ocean” movie until the last third.
Until the last third, Ben follows Micky's example and lives the typical Vegas hedonism. His intense involvement in Vegas predictably reduces his relationship with friends, as well effacing his educational experience at MIT. The film begins to suggest that glory and riches are tyrannical idols, and it places an emphasis on self-sacrifice and following your dreams, despite any attractive distractions. Without the thematic clarity of Rounders, this film devalues any sacrificial or Christ-conscious demeanor by have a twist ending that engages too many ideas and none at all.
Even so, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, and Jim Sturgess make the movie enjoyable. In the movie world, being a lead in a successful romantic comedy (emphasis on “successful”) is a litmus test for Hollywood stardom. Thus we should expect to see more of Jim Sturgess in the future due to his leading roles in “Across the Universe” and “21,” the latter of which proves through his performance and a successful load of box office tickets to promise a great deal more.
There could have been more to “21,” but it was momentarily fun, just like blackjack. Even if the filmmakers brought down everything but the house, between the actors and the dialogue, "21" is a fun but throwaway hand.