Review of 21 (2008) by William B — 22 Jul 2010

I love cards. There's just so much you can do with them: Play games, show tricks and of course win money. But with everything in the world there is a way to cheat at card games and as it's shown in this flick you can also cheat in Blackjack.

Everyone loves a good casino film because we all wish we could do what these people are doing, without getting caught of course but it is the dream to get rich QUICK.

As soon as the credits hit the screen, slowly moving over the cards showing the tiny dimples that rest on the cards then to the chips I could tell I would defiantly enhoy this film whether it's a classic or not.

Ben Campbell is a young genius who needs $300,000 to enrol in harvard uni so he can get a medical diploma, but he's not exactly Bill Gates nephew so he must work a long time for this kind of money.

UNTIL Mickey Rosa (Spacey), one of Ben's teachers, recognises Ben's excellent abilities and offers him a place on the "Blackjack team" and also promises all his grades and classes will run easily if he chooses to join. So after a bit of thinking HE FUCKING JOINS!! I mean seriously I wouldn't even have to think twice about an offer like that I'D BE LIVING THE HIGH LIFE PEOPLE!

As the story progresses hits bumps in the road such as his old friends and trying to keep this secret from everyone else and the appearance of Fishburnes hard as nails security guard added to the grit of the film.

All the college students didn't give very interesting performances only the two oldies, Spacey and Fishburne, gave really powerful characters to the story which was in fact what kept the film on it's feet the entire time. OK fine i'll give some credit to Sturgess for doing a half decent job but he just didn't seem to be in the right frame of mind for this film. That is the reason it's only a 60%.

But overall with the strong prodigy performances and a strong storyline 21 holds up well as a gambling film.

3/5.