21 (referred to in advertising as 21: The Movie) is a 2008 drama film from Columbia Pictures. It is directed by Australian director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde) and stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Aaron Yoo, and Liza Lapira. The film is inspired by the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team. The film draws from Bringing Down the House, the best-selling book by Ben Mezrich.
Plot
MIT student Ben Campbell is accepted into Harvard Medical School, but he cannot afford the $300,000 tuition. He is interviewed as a potential candidate for the prestigious Robinson Scholarship, which will pay for all his school-related expenses. Despite boasting stats such as a 1590 SAT score, 44 MCAT score, and a 4.0 GPA at MIT, Ben is told that competition for the scholarship is very fierce. Ben is urged to write an essay which will make him stand out; in other words, an essay which will "dazzle" the recruiter.
During an advanced math class, professor Micky Rosa challenges Campbell with a three door variable change problem, which Campbell solves successfully. Rosa invites Campbell to join his blackjack team led by Rosa, which consists of young men Choi and Fisher, and women Jill and Kianna. The system involves card counting, and the team is split into two groups: The "spotters", who play the minimum bet, keeping track of the count, and sending secret signals; and the "big players", who place large bets whenever the count at a table is favorable. Campbell is reluctant, but eventually joins the team, telling Rosa he is only doing so until he can pay for school. After weeks of intensive training, Ben is given a test at an underground casino, which he passes, and he is assigned as a big player.
Rosa takes the team to Las Vegas where Campbell begins to realize the joys of a new lifestyle. Campbell's performance impresses Rosa, but eventually provokes jealousy in teammate Fisher. One evening, a drunken Fisher sits at Ben's table and starts talking about the "retard" in Rain Man, who won by counting cards. He then incites a melee when he spills a drink on another player at the table. Rosa kicks Fisher off the team and sends him home. All the while, security chief Cole Williams monitors the blackjack team; particularly Campbell. Campbell, meanwhile, falls for Jill, culminating in the pair sleeping together in Vegas.
Back at MIT, Campbell, distracted by the blackjack, botches his part of his project with his friends for the 2.09 competition. His friends angrily tell him that they will do the project themselves, with Campbell feeling that the project is not important anymore. On the next trip to Vegas, Campbell is emotionally distracted and continues playing even after he is signaled to walk away. An angry Rosa storms out on the group, promising that Campbell will reimburse him for the $200,000 loss. Campbell and his three remaining teammates bankroll the rest of their money, and agree to go into business for themselves. Williams finds and apprehends Campbell and takes him to a secluded basement and beats him. He lets Campbell go with a dire warning that should Ben ever return to Las Vegas, Cole will smash his cheekbone, then kill him..
Campbell returns to MIT, only to find a letter noting that he has been given an incomplete for O'Reilly's class and therefore won't graduate, and that his winnings have been stolen from his dorm room. Ben suspects that Rosa is the thief, but cannot prove anything, so he makes Rosa an offer: He and the team will hit Vegas for one big score before the casino installs facial recognition software, as long as Rosa joins the team. He agrees.
Disguised, the team returns to the Planet Hollywood. They rake in over $640,000 before Williams finds them and gives chase. The team members quickly bag their chips and then flee through the casino. During the chase, Campbell and Rosa split up, with Rosa taking the bag of chips. Rosa escapes, but finds his bag is full of chocolate coins, and his limo is being driven by the casino manager.
It is revealed that Williams made a deal with Campbell; he would let Campbell come to Vegas for one last night to make a lot of money in exchange for Rosa. However, Williams confronts Campbell on his way out, and demands the bag of chips at the threat of a gun. Back in the casino, Williams informs Rosa that he also has a friend who is "good with numbers, but he works for the IRS." The movie closes with Campbell recounting the tale to the scholarship judge, who looks back at him in amazement.
Cast
This is the third film in which Spacey and Bosworth have starred together. The first was Beyond the Sea, which Spacey directed, and the second was Superman Returns. The two will again star together in the Superman Returns sequel Superman: The Man of Steel. This is also the second film that Bosworth and director Luketic have made together, the first being Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!.
Controversy
Although the main characters upon which the film 21 is based were Asian-American, studio executives determined that "most of the film's actors would be white, with perhaps an Asian female."[1]
Supporters of the decision to cast Jim Sturgess as Ben Campbell claim that producers simply sought the best actor for the job, regardless of race. Ultimately, this meant passing over many Asian-American talents in favor of London-born Jim Sturgess, who required a dialect coach to speak American English.[2]
Nick Rogers of The Enterprise wrote "The real-life students mostly were Asian-Americans, but 21 whitewashes its cast and disappointingly lumps its only major Asian actors (Aaron Yoo and Liza Lapira) into one-note designations as the team's kleptomaniac and a slot-playing "loser."[3]
Posters calling the film racist could be seen in New York's Chinatown.[4]
Jeff Ma, who was the real-life inspiration for the character Ben Campbell, was accused of being a "race traitor" on several blogs. In response, Ma said, "I'm not sure they understand how little control I had in the movie-making process; I didn't get to cast it."[5] Ma said that the controversy was "overblown" and that the important aspect is that a talented actor would portray him.[6]
Filming
Principal filming of the Las Vegas scenes took place at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Scenes in the MIT bar were actually filmed at People's Republik. MIT would not allow filming on campus. Filming also took place at Harvard Medical School,[7] Chinatown, and the Christian Science Center in Boston, Massachusetts. MIT school and dorm interiors, the gymnasium, and the alumni reception were all shot at Boston University.[8]
The movie began filming from March 2007.[9]
Critical reception
21 received mixed reviews from critics. As of 2 April 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 32% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 107 reviews.[10] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 48 out of 100, based on 28 reviews.[11]
Box office performance
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $24.105m US $ in 2,648 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging $9,103 per venue and ranking #1 at the box office.[12] The film was also the #1 film in its second weekend of release, losing just 36% of its audience, grossing $15,337,418, expanding to 2,653 theaters, and averaging $5,781 per venue. The film dropped to #3 in its third weekend, losing only 32% of its audience, grossing $10,470,173, expanding to 2,736 theaters, and averaging $3,827 per venue. It fell to #6 in its fourth weekend, losing 47% of its audience, grossing $5,520,362 expanding to 2,903 theaters and averaging $1,902 per venue.
As of 31 May 2008, it has grossed a total of $130,433,929 worldwide — $81,159,365 in the United States and Canada and $49,274,564 in other territories.[13]
21 was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Region 1 on July 22.[14]
Soundtrack
Tracklisting
The track was released at the same time as the movie.[15]
- The Rolling Stones — "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (Remixed by Soulwax) (6:07)
- MGMT — "Time to Pretend" (Super Clean Version) (4:20)
- LCD Soundsystem — "Big Ideas" (5:41)
- D. Sardy featuring Liela Moss — "Giant" (3:42)
- Amon Tobin — "Always" (3:38)
- Peter Bjorn and John — "Young Folks" (4:37)
- Junkie XL featuring Electrocute — "Mad Pursuit" (4:16)
- Get Shakes — "Sister Self Doubt" (4:22)
- The Aliens — "I Am The Unknown" (5:27)
- Rihanna — "Shut Up And Drive" (3:34)
- Knivez Out — "Alright" (3:31)
- Domino— "Tropical Moonlight" (3:28)
- Unkle — "Hold My Hand" (4:58)
- Mark Ronson featuring Kasabian — "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" (3:32)
- Broadcast — "Tender Buttons" (2:51)
Other tracks
- The song "Everybody Get Dangerous" by Weezer was also featured in the film, but not included on the soundtrack since it was not yet released. It would later be released on Weezer's new record, The Red Album. It is played when the team is in a poker club on a distant radio.
- The song "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick was also featured in the movie but not on the soundtrack album.
- The song "Magnificent" by Estelle (feat. Kardinal Offishall) was also featured in the movie but not on the soundtrack album. It's played approximately 58 minutes in, after the Weezer song, in the scene where Ben buys Jill a beer. It's subtle, and has a reggae beat.
- In the trailers for the movie, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" by The Doors was used.
- During the restaurant scene where the team explains to Ben how they work, "Home" by Great Northern can be heard playing in the background.
See also
Notes
- ^ Kevin Der (2005-09-30). "MIT Alumnus and 'Busting Vegas' Author Describe Experience of Beating the House". The Tech. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ Michael Janusonis (2008-03-28). "Movies: 21 star Jim Sturgess got a crash course in card counting". The Providence Journal. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
- ^ Nick Rogers (2008-03-26). "When the stakes are high, '21' folds". The Enterprise. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ Youyoung Lee (2008-03-28). "Calling the bluff: Is '21' racist?". PopWatch Blog on Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ Justin Berton (2008-03-27). "Hollywood deals Jeff Ma a good hand with '21'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ http://www-tech.mit.edu/V128/N12/blackjack
- ^ Hollywood in the Hub: 21 Filming at Harvard Medical School
- ^ Actor, producer Spacey brings filming to BU Castle - News
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478087/business Visit for verification
- ^ "21 Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
- ^ "21 (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
- ^ "21 (2008) - Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ "21 (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
- ^ Amazon.com: 21 (Single-Disc Edition): Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Jack Gilpin, Jack McGee, Kevin Spacey, Tom McGowan, Frank Patton, Spencer Garrett, Helen Carey, Jeff Dashnaw...
- ^ Marisa Brown. "allmusic ((( 21 > Overview )))". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
External links
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