Movie 21 Review, Trailer, Preview, Wikipedia sources @ Film About BlackJack 2008

"21" @ BlackJack Movie By Miss Vwls, NWP Editor In Chief Produced by William S. Beasley .... executive producer Dana Brunetti .... producer Michael De Luca .... producer Ryan Kavanaugh .... executive producer Brett Ratner .... executive producer Kevin Spacey .... producer Original Music by David Sardy Cinematography by Russell Carpenter (director of photography) Film Editing by Elliot Graham Casting by Lauren Grey (as Lauren Gray) Francine Maisler Production Design by Missy Stewart Art Direction by James F. Truesdale (as James Truesdale) Set Decoration by Tracey A. Doyle Costume Design by Luca Mosca

"21" Movie Overview

Director:	Robert Luketic
Writers (WGA):	Peter Steinfeld (screenplay) and Allan Loeb (screenplay) ...
Release Date:	28 March 2008 (USA)
Genre:	Drama
Tagline:	Inspired by the true story of five students who changed the game forever.
Plot Outline:	"21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.
Plot Synopsis:	View full synopsis. (warning! may contain spoilers)
Plot Keywords:	Mathematician / Bar / Gambling / Clothing Store / Professor
Awards:	1 win
User Comments:	Very Good Film

"21" Movie Review

So another mediocre gambling movie hits the scene – this one featuring blackjack. 21 is loosely based on a true story about a group of MIT students who form a team of card-counters headed up by a money-hungry professor, and head to Vegas to start raking in the big bucks. Obviously the movie distorts the real story to the point that it’s completely Hollywood-ized, but what do you expect? Unlike the original account (outlined in the book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, by Ben Mezrich), the brainy team of cheaters in 21 becomes an insta-success on the strip and proceeds to get a typical cinema-enhanced crash course on life - Vegas style. Except it’s not the Vegas anyone who’s been there would recognize – it’s a Vegas straight out of La La Land, replete with large, menacing gangster types, and implausibly conspicuous moves by the MIT Team that would be caught in under two minutes by any respectable casino security team.

Add to that a glitzy, stylish vibe that tries a bit too hard to be thrilling and glamorous, some mundane grade-B acting, and a lame yet predictable ending… and you’ve got 21. It’s a little like watching a music video, only without the cool music. But OK you say you still want to see it. Here’s a synopsis.

Ben Campbell plays Jim Sturgess, a shy, gifted guy who is barely making $8 an hour, struggling to survive while attending MIT. He’s of course led a stupidly sheltered life and is deficient in any real life experience – perfect protagonist to shove into the fast lane. Naturally his magnificent brain power is recognized, and he is recruited into a group of students, who under the direction of math professor and statistics guru Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), organize a squad to bring home millions of dollars counting cards in Vegas. The team develops a method of counting and signaling one another that is pathetically lame (you may get a few laughs out of it if you smoke out before watching), and obviously enjoys astounding success right out of the gate. Kate Bosworth, looking rather perky in this film, plays Jill Taylor, fellow card counter and the girl of Ben’s dreams. Predictably, Ben becomes hypnotized by the glamour and seduction of the fast money, the flashy Vegas scene, and of course Jill’s cute little boobs. He starts pushing things too far and falls into major trouble with casino security consultant Laurence Fishburne, who probably should have been given a bigger role in this debacle. There are a lot of gambling scenes in this movie that leave you flat if you have ever actually played blackjack, and not enough topless hookers to make up for it.

Not going to ruin the ending for you since you insist on seeing this garbage, but prepare to feel like you went in to rent a car for your weekend away, asked for a Caddy, and got a Dodge Neon instead. Enjoy.

Movie "21" Trailer:

You can Download 21 movie Trailer from SonyPictures.com

"21" Movie sources:

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/21/ - Official 21 Movie Webpage

"21" Movie Snapshots:

Cast (in credits order)

Jim Sturgess ... Ben Campbell
Kevin Spacey ... Micky Rosa
Kate Bosworth ... Jill Taylor
Aaron Yoo ... Choi
Liza Lapira ... Kianna
Jacob Pitts ... Jimmy Fisher
Laurence Fishburne ... Cole Williams
Jack McGee ... Terry
Josh Gad ... Miles Connoly
Sam Golzari ... Cam
Helen Carey ... Ellen Campbell
Jack Gilpin ... Bob Phillips
Donna Lows ... Planet Hollywood Dealer #1
Butch Williams ... Planet Hollywood Dealer #2
Jeffrey Ma ... Planet Hollywood Dealer Jeff
Frank Patton ... Planet Hollywood Floor Manager

Makeup Department

Marleen Alter .... makeup artist
Kelly Belmont .... assistant makeup artist
Gloria Pasqua Casny .... key hair stylist: Las Vegas
Elizabeth Cecchini .... key hair stylist
Lucia Mace .... hair department head
Susan Romero .... makeup artist
Trish Seeney .... key makeup artist
Sherryn Smith .... additional makeup artist

Production Management

Sharyn Shimada-Huggins .... production supervisor
Bryan Thomas .... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

David Eric Chapman .... second second assistant director
Mark S. Constance .... second second assistant director
John M. Morse .... second assistant director
Justin Muller .... first assistant director
Scott Rorie .... second second assistant director

Art Department

Bobby Anderson .... picture car coordinator
Eric Bryant .... graphic designer
James Champoux .... set dresser
Danica Chipman .... set buyer
Melissa Cooperman .... assistant props
Mick Cukurs .... set designer

Sound Department

Gary C. Bourgeois .... sound re-recording mixer
Michael J. Broomberg .... foley artist
Brian Copenhagen .... boom operator
Laura R. Harris .... dialogue editor (as Laura Harris Atkinson)
Gary A. Hecker .... supervising foley artist

Special Effects by

Skip Burrows .... special effects specialist
Jeremy Dominick .... special effects
Scott Dwyer .... special effects technician
Matt Kutcher .... special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by

Chris Bankoff .... lead compositor: Sway Studio
Brent M. Bowen .... digital compositor
John Cairns .... digital compositor: Gray Matter FX
Harry Eisenstein .... digital compositor
Myung Kim .... compositor

Stunts

Richard Bucher .... stunt double
Casey O'Neill .... stunt double (stunt double)
Scott Workman .... stunts

Camera and Electrical Department

Will Arnot .... camera operator: "b" camera
Will Arnot .... steadicam operator
Scott Barnes .... moving light programmer
Kirk Bloom .... second assistant camera: "b" camera, Las Vegas
Erik L. Brown .... first assistant camera: "a" camera
Alex M. Cacciarelli .... motion control video assist
Tony Campenni .... dolly grip
Rick Cardillo .... rigging electrician
Mark J. Casey .... rigging electric best boy

Casting Department

Michele Berumen .... casting assistant
Matt Bouldry .... casting assistant
Deanna Brigidi .... casting associate

Tracklisting

1. The Rolling Stones: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (Remixed by Soulwax) — 6:07
2. MGMT: "Time To Pretend" (Super Clean Version) — 4:20
3. LCD Soundsystem: "Big Ideas" — 5:41
4. D. Sardy featuring Liela Moss: "Giant" — 3:42
5. Amon Tobin: "Always" — 3:38
6. Peter Bjorn and John: "Young Folks" — 4:37
7. Junkie XL featuring Electrocute: "Mad Pursuit" — 4:16
8. Get Shakes: "Sister Self Doubt" — 4:22
9. Aliens: "I Am The Unknown" — 5:27
10. Rihanna: "Shut Up And Drive" — 3:34
11. Knivez Out: "Alright" — 3:31
12. Domino: "Tropical Moonlight" — 3:28
13. Unkle: "Hold My Hand" — 4:58
14. Mark Ronson featuring Kasabian: "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" — 3:32
15. Broadcast: "Tender Buttons" — 2:51