March 28, 2008

"21" - Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

By Stan Dyer

I remember hearing about the story on CNN a few years ago. A team of brainiacs from MIT got together and devised a mathematical scheme to count cards in Las Vegas to win lots and lots of money. In 2003, Ben Mezrich put the story in writing in his book, " Bringing Down the House", and now, it is the movie, " 21".

The story begins with MIT senior, Ben Campbell, who is about to graduate, planning on attending Harvard Medical School, and needing $300,000 for tuition. A mathematics professor, Micky Rosa, spots Campbell in class and recognizes his potential. Campbell is invited to a special study session sponsored by Rosa and introduced to the "team". Working together with the help of Rosa, the teams plans to milk some money from Vegas Blackjack tables.

To start the system, one of the students sits at a table, places minimum bets, and counts the deck until it is determined that the deck favors the players more than the house. When the time is right, the player at the table signals another player who has the real money to step in with the real bets. The system works well as long as everyone follows their cues and they all keep away from letting emotions interfere with the business. After winning over $300,000 in a few months of play, Campbell gets careless and refuses to leave a table even after the signal is given that the numbers no longer favor him. He loses $200,000 and angers Rosa, who leaves the team in Vegas and heads back for Boston.

Abandoned, the team tries to work the tables themselves, and they do well until a sneaky Rosa tips off House Security. Cole Williams of House Security nabs Campbell while the others escape. Williams and his "guys" take Campbell down to the basement, beat him mercilessly, and force him to leave town. Campbell is left with the promise of a brutal death should he ever return.

Campbell returns to MIT only to discover that he has lost more than he thought. During his ordeal, he neglected his friends, who now abandon him. He also learns that Rosa has stolen all of Campbell's money, (he had it stashed in the ceiling of his dorm room), pulled academic strings to deny him his degree, and pretty much wiped out his chances of ever going to Medical School anywhere. Yet, all is not lost.

In an apparent move of repentance, Campbell makes up with his friends, makes amends with Rosa and gets all to agree to one more visit to Vegas to make one last, big score before retiring. Now comes the twist. As always, I will tell you that I am going to reveal the twist at the end of the movie. If you do not want to know the ending, skip the next paragraph.

Just when you think Micky Rosa wins all, the movie reveals that Ben Campbell's repentance is all a ruse. He was working for Cole Williams to help settle a score with Micky Rosa from the past when Micky used to play the tables instead of having college kids play for him. Campbell sets Rosa up for William's security to catch and they do. The movie does not say exactly what happens to Rosa, but his last scene is in William's basement tied to a chair the way Campbell was. Everyone else lives happily ever after, but the fate of Rosa can only be presumed.

I rate the movie an "A+". It is well done throughout, and the acting is superb. The story is believable and appeals to everyone who has ever had a "get rich" scheme. I doubt the movie will inspire large numbers of people to start counting cards in Vegas because it also shows what happens to people who cheat. Those casinos in Vegas are there to make money, not give it away.

Title: "21"

Director: Robert Luketic

Rating: PG-13, Run Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes, Genre: Thriller

Cast:

Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell, Kevin Spacey as Micky Rosa, Kate Bosworth as Jill Taylor, Aaron Yo as Choi, Liza Lapira as Kianna, Jacob Pitts and Fisher and Laurence Fishburn as Cole Williams.