21

US, 2008, 123 minutes, Colour.
Jim Sturges, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Jack Mc Gee.
Directed by Robert Luketic

21 (for those who are not gambling-informed, 21 is not the age for adulthood but the total for cards to win at blackjack). This is a film about blackjack, about systems and gambling, about ambition and greed and about lives coming undone.

Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe, The Other Boleyn Girl) plays Ben Campbell, an intelligent student who needs a scholarship to go to Harvard medical school. He is diligent, has some good, if nerdy, friends who are caught up in robotics for a science competition. The head of the scholarship board thinks that Ben is competent but asks to be dazzled by his life and initiative. Ben tells this story of 21.

Handpicked by smarmy maths lecturer, Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey doing his thing) to join an elite group who are working on counting card techniques to win at blackjack in Las Vegas, he hesitates and then agrees. Lots of blackjack sequences and lots of winning – and consequent self-indulgent celebration.

However, behind the scenes is a tough security programmer (Laurence Fishburne) who has no scruple about bashing to get information from cheats at the casino tables. It is inevitable that the security man and Ben will finally have to deal with each other. This provides some twists and some possible (temporary?) respite for Ben. His life is complicated by his covering his tracks about visits to Vegas, his attraction towards one of his partners (Kate Bosworth), his ignoring his friends and deceiving his mother. He also falls foul of Professor Rosa which heads us towards a sleight of hand and a climax.

While the film revels in the winning system and the hedonistic rewards of lots of cash, it offers some warnings about gambling and its consequences, especially the unforeseen consequences from outside intervention.

It is well acted and has its suspenseful moments – and another bit of self-indulgence at the end when it seems that gambling and its winnings are an end in themselves for everyone, no matter what.

1. A gambling film? Success, failure, danger, comeuppance?

2. Audience knowledge of Black Jack, of 21, of casinos, of systems of beating the bank?

3. The Boston setting, home, school? The contrast with Las Vegas and its glitz, the casinos, the hotels? Glamour and indulgence?

4. The focus on Ben, the initial interview, the interviewer asking to be dazzled, his telling his story, returning to the interview at the end – and the result?

5. Ben and his friends, ordinary, their robot project, chat, the lectures, Mike Rosa, the questions, the answers, Ben as being very bright, Rosa’s reaction? The possibility of a scholarship? His mother and her help?

6. Rosa, Kevin Spacey’s style, the approach, meeting the group, the attraction to Jill? Her persuading him to join the group? His initial refusal, changing his mind?

7. Rosa and his life, his aims, his past, control, systems, counting the cards, getting the group to practice, the tests, the methods? Going to Las Vegas, seeing them in action? The various signals, the word codes, partners? Their success, the money, celebrating afterwards, self indulgence?

8. The effect on Ben, his wanting to get out after he got the money for his studies? Putting the fee money in the roof? The change, the experience, the success? The secrecy, the lies to his mother, especially about the scholarship? Lying to his friends, their disappointment?

9. The rivalries within the group, the young man and his antagonism, his behaviour, Rosa ousting him? Rosa’s toughness with the group? Ben and the growing relationship with Jill?

10. Call, his partner, tough, rough with people, their security inventions, security at the casino, the ultimatums from the owners? Suspicions, surveillance, watching Ben, the approach, the challenge? Bashing him?

11. Call and Rosa and their history, Ben upset, Ben failing, Rosa and his abandoning the project? His taking Ben’s money? Destroying his room?

12. The lecture, Ben and his answers, the ironies of the interchange between them, persuading Rosa to go again, the disguises, the team deciding to go in again, the execution of the plan?

13. The aftermath, the flashbacks to Call, the discussions with Ben, setting up Rosa, Rosa and his being exposed, his disguise, running and being caught?

14. Call, his demands about the money, taking from Ben? Ben losing the money twice? His later support of Ben?

15. Ben, his dazzling the interviewer with this story?

16. The ending – the silly touch, everybody enjoying the gambling, the friends winning their robot competition and Ben’s support, their joining him in the general hilarity? The tone of the ending after the drama that had gone on before?