For as long as he can remember, M.I.T. student Ben Caldwell (Jim Sturgess) has wanted nothing more than going to Harvard Medical School to study to become a doctor. There's a problem of course. He has absolutely no money, especially for the six-figure tuition, and his single mom can only offer so much help. Ben is a brilliant student, and he's caught the eye of one of his professors, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who has an offer that will change everything. Rosa has organized and runs a small five-person team of similarly skilled students. Their talent? They count cards and rake in the money. Ben is instantly skeptical, but with no other alternative he joins Rosa's team and immediately shows a skill for counting cards that produces winnings, lots of winnings. He's good, very good, but there is always the threat of being caught, and one experienced casino security guard, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne), is suspicious of Ben's impressive winning streak.
From director Robert Luketic, this 2008 thriller is based on a true story that produced the book Bringing Down the House. The book is a mix of fiction and non-fiction, but here's the gist; a handful of very smart people did some stupid stuff to get money by something that isn't technically illegal in counting cards. The movie itself is pretty decent. Wouldn't it be great to take a casino down a couple notches? Oh, and you get to net some generous amounts of money in the process? Yes, please. It's a very stylish movie with several montages used to show Ben learning the trade, putting them into play, and the necessary partying in Vegas montage with boozing, dancing, going to strip clubs, all that good stuff. Mix in a solid soundtrack with quite a variety of artists and songs, and we're off to a good start.
As a 30-year old playing an M.I.T. student in his early 20s, Sturgess represents himself well as Ben Caldwell, a pretty smart kid who makes some pretty dumb decisions. There's something sympathetic about the character even if it's telegraphed early on that at some point he will mess up, and he will mess up in a big way. Oh, spoiler alert? Eh, my bad. Joining Sturgess on Rosa's team are Jill (Kate Bosworth), the necessary unattainable girl who Ben can never have (or can he?), Choi (Aaron Yoo), the necessary kooky Asian student with the crazy hair, Kianna (Liza Lapira), the necessary quiet and worrying student, and Fisher (Jacob Pitts), the necessary spurned kid who resents how good Ben is at what he used to be the best at. Sturgess is the best of the bunch, but for the most part the group comes across more as a big caricature than actual characters.
The star power comes from two supporting parts that are nonetheless key to the story. Kevin Spacey does what he does best, playing a really nice guy who isn't really a nice guy. His Micky Rosa is friendly, charming and an all-around a-hole when things go poorly. You know just by his casting that at some point Ben and his fellow card-counters will eventually screw up because Spacey has to blow up and turn on them in dramatic fashion. See it coming miles away? Yes, but it's still fun to watch. The same for Fishburne as Cole Williams, veteran security official for the casinos. With partner Jack McGee, Cole is getting squeezed out by a facial recognition software that is replacing actual human security. It's a pretty one-note performance, but Fishburne handles it well. He's a good counter to Ben and the team, if not a bad guy because well.....because it's obvious Spacey will be the bad guy. Parts the duo could probably do in their sleep, but fun to watch.
While I liked the movie, I can admit I have no idea what any of the card counting meant or how it was done. I was instantly confused the second any of it is even remotely explained and/or discussed. With a movie that runs a little over two hours at 123 minutes, it's safe to say I liked the first hour significantly more than the second. When things go poorly, it gets a little too After School Special for me. Oh, no, Ben's friends (Sam Golzari and funny Josh Gad) are upset that he's not the same Ben they know? Oh, no, Jill might not like him as much as he likes her? There's a good twist in the last 15 minutes that I didn't see coming which does save some enjoyment from some of the monotony toward the end. Still, I liked it just enough to give it a mild recommendation.
21 (2008): ** 1/2 /****
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