21

-by Kim Yonick

Blackjack is a game of luck and chance, but not for six MIT students. Robert Leketic’s “21” is based off a true story about six MIT students who worked the blackjack tables by counting cards.

The film begins with Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) applying for Harvard Medical School’s scholarship. The professor tells Campbell that they are looking for someone who jumps off the page. This is where the movie takes its first turn. Campbell’s math professor, Professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), trains Campbell and five other students the art of card counting. These students not only take the casinos for millions, but learn valuable lessons about their fearless leader.

The cast for this film was flawless. The top actors Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne brought the new actors and actresses to ease. Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira and Jacob Pitts all worked well together.

Leketic used intense film angles. When Campbell was given the signal by Kianna (Liza Lapira), he joined the table. Kianna said the key word, the camera then quickly cut to flash cards with the positive number on the flipside. Leketic also used extreme close ups in slow motion on the cards as they were being dealt. He also used Campbell’s voiceover to help the audience understand how the process works.

“21” compared to other films Leketic done is more complex. He produced other films such as “Monster-In-Law” and “Legally Blonde”. Though these movies were dealing with subjects such as college life and marriage into another family, they don’t compare to “21”. This film keeps the audience guessing even when you think you have Leketic all figured out. The ending will surprise anyone and I highly recommend this film.