21 (2008)

21 is a well-done cardsharp caper that kept me interested and has kept me thinking about it afterwards. Jim Sturgess plays Ben, a gangly nerd-in-residence at MIT who is applying for medical school (and a single scholarship that would cover the required $300K if he can "dazzle" the dean). The scenes with his two science-nerd buddies are droll since engineering is their native tongue and speaking about or to women is foreign to them. Kevin Spacey is a math professor who hand-picks Ben to join a card-counting team that rakes in the bucks in Las Vegas. Ben has reservations but decides to give it a go. You get a good idea of the ins and outs of card counting as well as its thrills and dangers. (Laurence Fishburne and his team of thugs enjoy their jobs catching and punishing those who dare to upset the house's stacked odds.) Thing is, being a high-stakes player can change a guy. Will Ben make enough money for med school? Will he get caught? Will he win or lose everything? Will he get the girl? (The alluring Kate Bosworth plays a team member and love interest.) Families should know about the couple's brief waist-up, from-behind grappling scene against a hotel window but otherwise 21 is a straightforward casino caper movie. The team's hand signals seemed overly obvious but their disguises and alter egos made the movie (based on a true story) fun. A couple of twists at the end made 21 even more thrilling than I expected. Enjoy! 4 stars.