21 (2008)

Director:

Robert Luketic

Writers (WGA):

Peter Steinfeld (screenplay) and
Allan Loeb (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

28 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Inspired by the true story of five students who changed the game forever.

Plot:

"21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

Plot Keywords:

Card Counting | Casino | Profanity | Blackjack | Cheating At Cards

Awards:

1 win

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Jim Sturgess	...	Ben Campbell
Kevin Spacey	...	Prof. Micky Rosa
Kate Bosworth	...	Jill Taylor
Aaron Yoo	...	Choi
Liza Lapira	...	Kianna
Jacob Pitts	...	Jimmy Fisher
Laurence Fishburne	...	Cole Williams
Jack McGee	...	Terry
Josh Gad	...	Miles Connoly
Sam Golzari	...	Cam
Helen Carey	...	Ellen Campbell
Jack Gilpin	...	Bob Phillips
Donna Lows	...	Planet Hollywood Dealer #1
Butch Williams	...	Planet Hollywood Dealer #2
Jeffrey Ma	...	Planet Hollywood Dealer Jeff

Also Known As:

21 - The Movie (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence, and sexual content including partial nudity.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Finland:K-13 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia) | Ireland:12A | South Korea:15 | Greece:K-13 | UK:12A | New Zealand:M | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:G (Québec) | Poland:15 | Italy:T | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Sweden:11 | South Africa:13V | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43290) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Michael De Luca Productions

Trivia:

Jeff Ma, the real life Ben Campbell, has a small role in the movie as a Planet Hollywood blackjack dealer.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the first meeting with Ben, the cards that Micky deals alternate from face up, face down, and missing altogether.

Quotes:

Kianna: Dude, I lost track 20 cards ago.
Micky Rosa: Don't call me dude.

Movie Connections:

Features V for Vendetta (2005)

Soundtrack:

Music is Happiness

21 Leaves out Elements of the Book, Adds New Excitement

After Reading Ben Mezrich's "Bringing Down the House", upon which this movie is based, I was excited to the movie. I am usually let down by movies that are based on books, but that was not the case this time.

Although there were a handful of cliché parts of the movie, all in all it was excellently done. The visual effects were well done, and the acting on the part of Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, and Kate Bosworth, was exemplary. Some people may criticize Spacey for his 'gusto', but I believe his portrayal of Mickey was stellar.

The movie had suspense, a solid plot line, scattered funny scenes, and a good ending. The people I went with, none of whom had read the book, found it an even better movie than I did. If you like the movie enough, I recommend reading the book for a more complete story.