Movies

21 tells the story of six genius MIT students apply their excellent grasping of probability to beat all odds in the world of gambling. Directed by Robert Luketic, it is an adaptation of author Ben Mezrichs best seller novel Bringing Down the House The Inside Story of Six MIT students Who Took Vegas for Millions.

    Jim Sturgess stars as Ben Campbell, a brilliant student facing the threat of being kicked out of MIT because he cannot afford to raise money for his tuition fees. The solutions to his tribulations seem to lie in playing cards. Ben is recruited into a team of very gifted students who are sharpening their mastery of probability and numbers in an attempt of tilting the odds against the black jack game. Hesitant at first, he soon secures a fake identity card and teams up with the scammers led by eccentric math professor Micky Rosa. The team then engages in highly lucrative gambling excursions in Las Vegas every weekend where they employ a complex code of signals to cheat the system before their devious scheme is uncovered.

    This film has an inconsistent pace, starting leisurely before exploding with adrenaline pumping casino action in the heart of Las Vegas. Even though the film can be credited for having excellent production design, a credible script and good acting, the thumps-down is that there is a lot of unnecessary background noise. The dialogue is sometimes inaudible due to background music especially in the club and casino scenes.

    21 is generally a good film. Its themes of greed and materialism are very relevant in the world we are living in and are especially bolstered by the fact that the events in the movie really happened. For those who love card games and the math enthusiasts, it makes an excellent watch.