21

Director: robert luketic

Actor: jim sturgess,kate bosworth,kevin spacey,aaron yoo

Data Published: Fri Mar 28 2008

Genres: Crime,Drama,History,Thriller

Key Words: blackjack,based on true story,card counting,massachusetts institute of technology,gambling

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478087/

WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_(2008_film)

Description: 21 is a movie starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Spacey. "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...

Plot: MIT maths major Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is accepted into Harvard Medical School, but cannot afford the $300,000 fee. Despite a 44 MCAT score and top grades, he faces fierce competition for the prestigious Robinson Scholarship that would pay for medical school in its entirety. The director tells him that the scholarship would go to the student who "dazzles" him. Having nothing that would do that, Ben walks away and tries to write an essay with nothing in mind to compose it. At MIT, Professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) challenges Ben with the Monty Hall problem in one of his non-linear equation classes, which he solves successfully. After looking at Ben's 97% score on his latest non-linear equations paper, Rosa invites Ben to join his blackjack team, which consists of fellow students Choi, Fisher, Jill, and Kianna. Despite being told by Rosa that he had already gotten into the Harvard Medical School, Ben refuses to join the team on the premise he had been promoted at his job. Jill visits Ben at his job and attempts to coax him into joining the team. The system involves card counting, and the team is split into two groups. "Spotters" play the minimum bet and keep track of the count. They send secret signals to the "big players", who place large bets whenever the count at the table is favorable. Ben reluctantly joins the team, telling Rosa he is only doing so until he can pay for medical school. Rosa takes the team to Las Vegas over many weekends; Ben comes to enjoy his luxurious lifestyle as a "big player". His performance impresses Jill—who develops a mutual attraction with him—and Rosa. However, Fisher becomes jealous of Ben's success and is kicked out of the team after he drunkenly incites a melee, requiring the team to scramble to cash in their stock of chips before the casino swaps out. Security chief Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) monitors the blackjack team, having his eyes on Ben. Ben, distracted by blackjack, does not complete his part of a project for an engineering competition, estranging him from his friends. During the next trip to Vegas, an emotionally distracted Ben continues playing even after he is signaled to walk away, thereby losing $200,000. An angered Rosa leaves the team and demands that Ben repay him for the loss, telling he lost because he was gambling instead of counting. Ben tells Jill he has won over $300,000 and does not intend to stop. Ben and his three remaining teammates agree to go into business for themselves; Williams, however, kidnaps Ben, beats him and frees him after being tipped off by Rosa. Ben learns that he has been given an incomplete grade in one of his classes and, therefore, will not graduate, and that his winnings have been stolen from his dormitory room. Suspecting Rosa, Ben reconciles with his friends and Jill, and approaches Rosa with an offer: he and the team will hit Vegas for another attempt before the casinos install biometric software that will quickly identify card counters, as long as Rosa, once a very successful "big player", also plays. Disguised, the team returns to Planet Hollywood and wins $640,000 before fleeing Williams and his men, chips in hand. Ben and Rosa split up, with Rosa taking the bag of chips. Rosa escapes into a limousine with the intention of stealing the winnings, but finds his bag is full of chocolate coins and that the casino manager is driving Rosa's limousine. It is revealed that Ben and Williams made a deal in which Ben would be allowed to come back to Vegas for one night in exchange for Rosa, with whom Williams has a grudge: Years ago, Williams was a pit manager when Rosa took his casino for over $1,000,000 by counting cards, resulting in Williams being fired. After capturing Rosa, Williams confronts Ben and demands at gunpoint the bag of chips for his retirement; after giving up the money, Ben rejoins his friends, who have been counting all night themselves. The film closes with Ben recounting the entire tale to a "dazzled" Harvard director.