Film

21

Cert: 12A

Description: Mathematics professor Micky Rosa misspent his youth at the blackjack tables, learning to count cards to make himself a small fortune. He got out just in time, avoiding a beating from old school security chief Cole Williams. Desperate to make more money, Micky approaches five of his most gifted proteges with a proposition: to teach them to count cards so that they can replicate his scam, outwitting Cole and the omnipresent CCTV cameras.

Evening Standard rating

Reader rating

Your rating

Click on a star to rate

Dir: Robert Luketic.

Cast: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne

Country: US.

Year: 2008.

Duration: 122mins

Playing their cards right

Bright things: Kevin Spacey and Jim Sturgess

10 Apr 2008

This is the partially true story of the group of bright young things, marshalled by a none-too-honest teacher, who took a Las Vegas casino for millions armed with false identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favour.

I say partially true since the film clearly colours it all up remorselessly as Ben (Jim Sturgess) gets seduced by the money and a pretty team-mate (Kate Bosworth) and tries a bit of real gambling instead of sticking to the rules.

This causes the teacher (Kevin Spacey) to spit blood and leave him to his fate � which is a beating from the casino manager (Laurence Fishburne), and losing the fortune he has made not once but twice.

21 is made with some skill by Robert Luketic, but it seldom engages the emotions fully and is much too long for comfort. It�s a good story, though, and one which makes you wonder how you could do the same here � if only you were bright enough to count the cards right.