Review of 21 (2008) by Alec D — 23 Feb 2017

"21" is a true story based on the book "Bringing Down The House". I have not read the book but I have heard the film does digress a bit from its source.

How people can call the film Racist because some of the characters were changed from Asian to White I'll never know. No one said anything when The King Pin in Dare Devil became Black or Robert Neville in I Am Legend went from being a middle-aged Caucasian male to a young African American man. Ben Campbell in "21" is in real life Jeffrey Ma, who actually has a bit part in the film as Planet Hollywood Dealer Jeff. Now if he had a problem with the film's adaptation in anyway do you really think he take part in it!

If you want a serious and informative documentary go watch the Discovery Channel. However this is the business of show baby and that means entertainment!

Directed by Robert Luketic this film, as you'd expect a Vegas film to be, has got charm, slick gloss, enthusiastic flair and bags of style. A combination of those makes it hard to reject the sheer delight of being swept up in the heady rush of fast wealth and the dicey (no pun intended) pleasure commonly coupled with the gambling thrill.

Jim Sturgess is very good as MIT geek and hero of the piece, Ben Campbell desperate for a scholarship at Harvard Med. Kevin Spacey gives the film quality and just about steals every scene he's in, while Lawrence Fishburne add weight and class to the show.

Possible SPOILER. The ending is very indefinite and you wonder if there was supposed to be an underlying message. If there was one in the closing epilogue narration/speech I understood it to be 'go to Vegas and try and win big by whatever means necessary and if you lose friends along the way and your self respect and possibly all of your money AND get beaten up in the process so what - it was amazing FUN WASN'T IT KIDS!?'.