Rating:

21 is a movie fraught with contradiction. On the one hand it’s totally watchable, being both well acted and well constructed. On the other hand, the story is really pretty dull.

If I had to summarize the plot, I’d do it like this: There’s this kid who learns how to count cards, he counts some cards, the end. Strictly by itself, the story doesn’t exactly sizzle. Imagine trying to sell someone on the idea—”All the fun of watching cards turn over!”

But there are more elements to a good movie than just the line of the plot, and it’s by executing these with skill that 21 succeeds when it might have failed. The film’s greatest asset is its cast, all of whom rise admirably to the occasion. In the lead is Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell; you may remember him as Jude from Across the Universe. In 21 he is likeable and real and you can understand the motivations behind his character’s decisions. In short, he is everything he wasn’t in Across the Universe.

Aside him are such high quality actors as Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne. As a security officer with a penchant for punching, Fishburne brings his usual excellence; that is, eh could be your best friend and beat you to death at the same time and you’d totally believe it. Kevin Spacey appears as Micky Rosa, the MIT professor who turns his select group of students on to the ways of using math to swindle casinos out of huge gobs of cash at the blackjack tables. That’s the kind of dedicated, involved teacher we all wish we’d had, right? Spacey, as always, is stellar. I don’t think he’s capable of giving a bad performance. The only disappointment is that the movie provides no opportunity for him to do his hilarious Jack Lemmon impression. The supporting cast excels as well, with everyone from Ben’s old friends to his new gang of self-made Rainmen hitting all the right notes at all the right times.

Though the basic story is thin, the filmmakers found the aspects and diversions of the high rolling lifestyle that make the movie work. The audience feels the thrill of knowing you can’t lose, winces at the pain of being caught and is swept away by the magnificent gaudiness of Las Vegas.

There’s something of a love story in 21, but it’s utterly pointless and seems needlessly tacked on, though by this point I’ve come to expect unnecessary romance in virtually every movie I see. For the most part, however, the movie stays on track and provides an enjoyable two hours. While some characters are hard to relate to, they’re at least easy to understand. When the movie attempts humor it usually works, somethign you can’t take for granted these days. And best of all, there’s no moral handed down at the end, chastising these people for unethically making an end-run around the system; at movie’s end, the characters say “We used a skillful trick to cheat casinos out of piles upon piles of money and live a swinging Vegas lifestyle—and it was awesome!”

All these elements come together in such a way that you’re fully drawn into the characters’ world, if not necessarily their story, and for this particular picture that’s enough.

If You Hated This, You Will Also Totally Hate:

• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
• Movie Review: The Hangover
• My Superman Woes
• Easy Rider
• Yankee Doodle Dandy