Creative quotient
21 is the story of Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a brilliant M.I.T. student who is desperate for some money to pay his school fees. He joins a group of the school’s most promising students who head to Vegas every weekend to win at blackjack.
The students use fake identities and mathematical and logical solutions to turn the odds at blackjack in their favour. Their math professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leads the way and together they come with a crack for the casinos’ blackjack codes. They beat the casino dealers by counting the cards while they are dealt and employing an intricate system of signals.
Ben becomes an addict to the easy money and the Vegas lifestyle. Seduced by the idea of wooing Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. The film also features Laurence Fishburne as Cole Williams the casinos’ enforcer, who is hell-bent at apprehending cheats.
The premise rings a bell and the whole concept looks a lot like the Oceans’ series. But, unlike George Clooney’s films 21 is a little less charming.

Technical expertise
This film is like a lavish big-budget production. Vegas is one of the snazziest places on Earth and its bright lights, beautiful people and vivid colours have been captured in full magnificence. The camera work in the film is worth a mention.
21 is the story of young students and since it is made to cater to a young audience the dialogues of the film are snappy and witty. The phrase ‘winner winner, chicken dinner’ is a real charm. The film also has a fair background with science, math and logic. And as a result the film can be weighed down by technical jargon, but that has been well avoided in 21.
It seems playing cards can be just as exciting a proposition as blowing up cars as seen in films like Casino Royale and Next. 21 does the same, but it could have done with a little more casino action. Perhaps the film spends a little too much time introducing its characters, but nevertheless the script and screenplay is fast enough to keep the audience engaged. As usual the masterful Kevin Spacey gives an ace performance and the young actors Sturgess and Bosworth are good too.