list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around 21 on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/21/317797/default.aspx Title: 21
Year: 2008
Director: Robert Luketic
Plot: Director Robert Luketic adapts Ben Mezrich's best-seller Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions to tell the true-life tale of six genius students who used their brains to beat considerable odds. Laurence Fishburne stars as the Sin City security chief who catches on to the group and makes it his mission to expose their lucritive blackjack scam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 8
Number of Lists: 19
Number of blog posts: 14
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:30:29 GMT212008Robert LuketicDirector Robert Luketic adapts Ben Mezrich's best-seller Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions to tell the true-life tale of six genius students who used their brains to beat considerable odds. <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____23625/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Laurence Fishburne</a> stars as the Sin City security chief who catches on to the group and makes it his mission to expose their lucritive blackjack scam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide8Taggedy Taggged (6-10)191423http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s317797.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/21/317797/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/lewisbostock/archive/2008/12/9/38164.aspx Post By: lewisbostock
Post To: Lewis Bostock
Post Date: 12/9/2008 10:01:33 PM
Body: I finally found time to watch 21. Despite my reluctance. But my Father bought me the DVD. So I am obliged.I work at Lumiere House of Movies, a boutique DVD rental store in Whangaparaoa. We serve customers that find solace in watchable or passable entertainment. No doubt, Robert Luketic's latest effort will reign in the Takahes, that's twenty dollar bills for you non-Kiwis.(Films 'Based on a True Story' usually succeed at our store, 'Based on a True Story' invites the viewer to forget the cliches because they 'happened in real life' and the film's marketers know how to capitalize on this misplaced understanding.)Just scratch away the surface, refuse to accept mediocrity and you'll find exactly what 21 misses, or just adjectives with the 'UN' prefix.An UNoriginal screenplay, UNenthusiastic direction and UNenthusiastic leads that culminate in a forgettable film. It's in one ear and out the other.Here's a story SO predictable, it plays like a damp matchstick, always failing to ignite, no matter the tries to strike it,Our Guy Ritchie pumped 'Young Hollywood' are expected to include flashy gambling montages, cut to rhythms of a soundtrack featuring Kasabian and MGMT.Sorry Mr. Lucketic. I don't buy your attempt to pay homage to the coda of Buckaroo Bonzai. You've unintentionally ripped off Wes Anderson's colourful attempt in The Life Aquatic with Steven Zissou.Perhaps if you compare your film to one of my farts, then you'll find something loaded with potency.(Available by Invitation ONLY) Originally posted on:Lewis Bostock
]]>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:01:33 GMTlewisbostockLewis Bostock12/9/2008 10:01:33 PMI finally found time to watch 21. Despite my reluctance. But my Father bought me the DVD. So I am obliged.I work at Lumiere House of Movies, a boutique DVD rental store in Whangaparaoa. We serve customers that find solace in watchable or passable entertainment. No doubt, Robert Luketic's latest effort will reign in the Takahes, that's twenty dollar bills for you non-Kiwis.(Films 'Based on a True Story' usually succeed at our store, 'Based on a True Story' invites the viewer to forget the cliches because they 'happened in real life' and the film's marketers know how to capitalize on this misplaced understanding.)Just scratch away the surface, refuse to accept mediocrity and you'll find exactly what 21 misses, or just adjectives with the 'UN' prefix.An UNoriginal screenplay, UNenthusiastic direction and UNenthusiastic leads that culminate in a forgettable film. It's in one ear and out the other.Here's a story SO predictable, it plays like a damp matchstick, always failing to ignite, no matter the tries to strike it,Our Guy Ritchie pumped 'Young Hollywood' are expected to include flashy gambling montages, cut to rhythms of a soundtrack featuring Kasabian and MGMT.Sorry Mr. Lucketic. I don't buy your attempt to pay homage to the coda of Buckaroo Bonzai. You've unintentionally ripped off Wes Anderson's colourful attempt in The Life Aquatic with Steven Zissou.Perhaps if you compare your film to one of my farts, then you'll find something loaded with potency.(Available by Invitation ONLY) Originally posted on:Lewis Bostock http://www.spout.com/groups/Poker_Fans/21/94/35113/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: ShuffleUp
Post To: Poker Fans
Post Date: 9/14/2008 12:11:20 AM
Body: Even though this has nothing to do with poker, i thought i'd put this in the discussion group. I saw this movie and thought it was lacking compared to the book. The interpretation of some of the items in the book was off, and of-course, they had to hollywood it up with some backroom beatings, chase scenes, etc. Still ... worth seeing....
]]>Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:11:20 GMTShuffleUpPoker Fans9/14/2008 12:11:20 AMEven though this has nothing to do with poker, i thought i'd put this in the discussion group. I saw this movie and thought it was lacking compared to the book. The interpretation of some of the items in the book was off, and of-course, they had to hollywood it up with some backroom beatings, chase scenes, etc. Still ... worth seeing.... http://www.spout.com/blogs/captainryannn/archive/2008/8/8/33738.aspx Post By: CaptainRyannn
Post To: CaptainRyannn Blog
Post Date: 8/8/2008 5:01:23 AM
Body: Since January 1st, 2008, I've been keeping track of all the films I've watched. Because I don't feel like taking the time to highlight each movie up until this point, I will start at the previous week, Week 29 and continue from now on. 328. The Dark Knight (2008) -My second time seeing it. Such a great movie. Although not good enough to be considered 'best film of all time'. 329. Teeth (2007) -The storyline attracted me to it. Within the first 20 minutes I wanted it to be done. I hated this thing so much. 330. Heima (2007) -Such a beautiful documentary for such an amazing band; Sigur Ros. Check them out if you haven't yet. 331. La Haine / Hate (1995) -One of the best French films I've seen. If there's one thing I'll remember about this movie years from now, it'll be the ending and how shocked I was after it was all said and done. 332. À ma soeur! / Fat Girl (2001) -There was something sad in the way that the relationship between Anais and her older sister works out. I can't quite place my finger on it. The whole mood of the story is it's strongest part. Even a week after watching it, it still lingers with me. 333. C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) -I had heard much about this before but now finally got around to watching it. I enjoyed this quite a bit. It deals with real people and real family issues. 334. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) - When I first saw this when it came out, I really liked it. After viewing it for a second time, I can't remember why. It's filled with unrealistic dialouge and characters I didn't care about. 335. À bout de souffle / Breathless (1960) -What had been hailed to be the 'crown jewel' of the French New Wave was also the last thing I saw before I feel asleep on Thursday. I think I'm going to have to give this another try. 336. Son of Rambow (2007) -After the rave reviews and catchy trailer, I had been looking forward to this. But after finally viewing it, I was left unfulfilled and wanting something more. 337. Phone Booth (2003) -Are there plot holes? Sure. Is the story likely? Nah. I mainly watched this for mere entertainment and nothing more. 338. Dazed and Confused (1993) -Immediately reminded me of American Graffiti except this took place in the 70's. I always fall for the movies that focus on how familar characters interact with one another. Although American Graffiti played this out much better, I thought this was pretty alright. 339. Batoru rowaiaru / Battle Royale (2001) -Although the dialouge seemed kind of cheesy, I can look past that because this was one hell of a ride. A group of 9th. graders put on an island and ordered to kill each other. Man, if only America had the balls to put something like that out. 340. Dazed and Confused (1993) -Yes, I watched it again. 341. Cool Hand Luke (1960) -My dad told me I would like this film. I did more than like it. Although many of us have never worked on a chain gang, the theme and spirit that this movie has is something that we can all relate to. 342. 21 (2008) -The only reason I watched this is so I could have an opinion about it when I hear kids talking about it in the hallways. I thought it was decent. Although it had many cliches, it was a little better than I expected it to be. 343. Vanishing Point (1971) -One of the first movies from the 70's that I fell in love with. Probably one of the best road chase movies out there, it's easy to tell why Quentin Tarantino decided to use it as his inspiration for Death Proof. 344. Casablanca (1942) -Classic, classic, classic. What else can I say? 345. The Breed (2006) -Such a horrible movie. Don't ever watch it.
]]>Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:01:23 GMTCaptainRyannnCaptainRyannn Blog8/8/2008 5:01:23 AMSince January 1st, 2008, I've been keeping track of all the films I've watched. Because I don't feel like taking the time to highlight each movie up until this point, I will start at the previous week, Week 29 and continue from now on. 328. The Dark Knight (2008) -My second time seeing it. Such a great movie. Although not good enough to be considered 'best film of all time'. 329. Teeth (2007) -The storyline attracted me to it. Within the first 20 minutes I wanted it to be done. I hated this thing so much. 330. Heima (2007) -Such a beautiful documentary for such an amazing band; Sigur Ros. Check them out if you haven't yet. 331. La Haine / Hate (1995) -One of the best French films I've seen. If there's one thing I'll remember about this movie years from now, it'll be the ending and how shocked I was after it was all said and done. 332. &Agrave; ma soeur! / Fat Girl (2001) -There was something sad in the way that the relationship between Anais and her older sister works out. I can't quite place my finger on it. The whole mood of the story is it's strongest part. Even a week after watching it, it still lingers with me. 333. C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) -I had heard much about this before but now finally got around to watching it. I enjoyed this quite a bit. It deals with real people and real family issues. 334. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) - When I first saw this when it came out, I really liked it. After viewing it for a second time, I can't remember why. It's filled with unrealistic dialouge and characters I didn't care about. 335. &Agrave; bout de souffle / Breathless (1960) -What had been hailed to be the 'crown jewel' of the French New Wave was also the last thing I saw before I feel asleep on Thursday. I think I'm going to have to give this another try. 336. Son of Rambow (2007) -After the rave reviews and catchy trailer, I had been looking forward to this. But after finally viewing it, I was left unfulfilled and wanting something more. 337. Phone Booth (2003) -Are there plot holes? Sure. Is the story likely? Nah. I mainly watched this for mere entertainment and nothing more. 338. Dazed and Confused (1993) -Immediately reminded me of American Graffiti except this took place in the 70's. I always fall for the movies that focus on how familar characters interact with one another. Although American Graffiti played this out much better, I thought this was pretty alright. 339. Batoru rowaiaru / Battle Royale (2001) -Although the dialouge seemed kind of cheesy, I can look past that because this was one hell of a ride. A group of 9th. graders put on an island and ordered to kill each other. Man, if only America had the balls to put something like that out. 340. Dazed and Confused (1993) -Yes, I watched it again. 341. Cool Hand Luke (1960) -My dad told me I would like this film. I did more than like it. Although many of us have never worked on a chain gang, the theme and spirit that this movie has is something that we can all relate to. 342. 21 (2008) -The only reason I watched this is so I could have an opinion about it when I hear kids talking about it in the hallways. I thought it was decent. Although it had many cliches, it was a little better than I expected it to be. 343. Vanishing Point (1971) -One of the first movies from the 70's that I fell in love with. Probably one of the best road chase movies out there, it's easy to tell why Quentin Tarantino decided to use it as his inspiration for Death Proof. 344. Casablanca (1942) -Classic, classic, classic. What else can I say? 345. The Breed (2006) -Such a horrible movie. Don't ever watch it. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jaydipset/archive/2008/7/14/32548.aspx Post By: JAYDIPSET
Post To: JAYDIPSET Blog
Post Date: 7/14/2008 6:15:31 PM
Body: THE MOVIE 21 IS THE BEST MOVIE THAT I SEEN THIS YEAR SO IF YOU PEOPLE DONT LIKE THIS MOVIE THEN YOU CAN GET OFF MY MOVIE BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE THE MOVIE WAS THE BOOM THEN YOU A REAL PERSON IN MY BOOK JAYDIPSET FOUR LIFE AND DONT FORGET THAT
]]>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:15:31 GMTJAYDIPSETJAYDIPSET Blog7/14/2008 6:15:31 PMTHE MOVIE 21 IS THE BEST MOVIE THAT I SEEN THIS YEAR SO IF YOU PEOPLE DONT LIKE THIS MOVIE THEN YOU CAN GET OFF MY MOVIE BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE THE MOVIE WAS THE BOOM THEN YOU A REAL PERSON IN MY BOOK JAYDIPSET FOUR LIFE AND DONT FORGET THAT http://www.spout.com/blogs/jaydipset/archive/2008/7/14/32546.aspx Post By: JAYDIPSET
Post To: JAYDIPSET Blog
Post Date: 7/14/2008 6:09:13 PM
Body: THE MOVIE 21 IS OFF THA CHANGE SO YOU NEED TO GO AND SEE IT TODAY
]]>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:09:13 GMTJAYDIPSETJAYDIPSET Blog7/14/2008 6:09:13 PMTHE MOVIE 21 IS OFF THA CHANGE SO YOU NEED TO GO AND SEE IT TODAY http://www.spout.com/blogs/pratchettfan/archive/2008/7/2/32020.aspx Post By: pratchettfan
Post To: pratchettfan Blog
Post Date: 7/2/2008 11:25:06 AM
Body: Bringing Down the House, the true story of six MIT students who won millions of dollars playing Black Jack in Vegas, has been lying around my room for several months. With the upcoming movie release I decided to give it a go. I was positively surprised by the book, especially by its honesty (regarding the motivations and opinions of the main characters) and its suspense.The movie on the other hand was pretty good but not as dazzling as the book. To be frank the movie wasn't as much based on the book but rather loosely inspired by it. The main topic, students going to Vegas to play Black Jack was of course present, but almost all the surrounding story was changed. What I liked most were Kevin Spacey's performance, he did a very good job portraying a greedy professor, and the scenes in Vegas. On the other hand the whole moralizing throughout the movie and the robot competition were the weakest parts.If the movie awoke your interest in Black Jack and if you would like to discover more about their strategy and what really happened in Vegas, then you should definitely read the book.
]]>Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:25:06 GMTpratchettfanpratchettfan Blog7/2/2008 11:25:06 AMBringing Down the House, the true story of six MIT students who won millions of dollars playing Black Jack in Vegas, has been lying around my room for several months. With the upcoming movie release I decided to give it a go. I was positively surprised by the book, especially by its honesty (regarding the motivations and opinions of the main characters) and its suspense.The movie on the other hand was pretty good but not as dazzling as the book. To be frank the movie wasn't as much based on the book but rather loosely inspired by it. The main topic, students going to Vegas to play Black Jack was of course present, but almost all the surrounding story was changed. What I liked most were Kevin Spacey's performance, he did a very good job portraying a greedy professor, and the scenes in Vegas. On the other hand the whole moralizing throughout the movie and the robot competition were the weakest parts.If the movie awoke your interest in Black Jack and if you would like to discover more about their strategy and what really happened in Vegas, then you should definitely read the book. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/6/6/30645.aspx Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/6/2008 2:22:29 PM
Body: "21" is a movie out of its time. The public craze of gambling-poker, five card stud and the like-which started (and arguably stopped) in the earlier part of this decade is the central theme. More specifically, how to cheat at the card games in a casino. Had the film, based on a true story, been released before the last star crossed gambling film (2007´s oft-delayed and much criticized "Lucky You"), it may have stood a chance. But even with household names like Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne to anchor the cast of relative newcomers, it is a story trying to recapture a fad. Almost like the net effect of a movie based on the 1990´s collectible dolls called Trolls. It preys on our (presumably good) memories about "Celebrity Poker Showdown" and "Rounders" while reinforcing a negative message about cheating. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) has a problem. While he´s a veritable genius, he wants to get into Harvard Medical School. The problem? The estimated $300,000 for admittance. So he falls into a card counting "club" headed by Professor Micky Rosa (Spacey). When the group initially scores big in Vegas, a security officer (Laurence Fishburne) starts to notice Ben in particular. Then, the game is afoot. There is an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" which handles this basic premise with more flair, fun and stakes than "21" can ever hope to. In that installment, the senior staff of the space station play along in a holographic simulation of Las Vegas in order to "steal" money and prevent a holographic friend from being "killed." It sets up the science fiction plot and runs the audience through the entire scheme using video montage with a voiceover. In essence, we see the way the "theft" is supposed to go down before the crew attempts it, thereby allowing us to see where it goes wrong. "21" attempts a similar filmmaking construct using salt and pepper shakers, not to mention a mustard container, in a restaurant. The issue? This explanation relies on the audience to remember which of our newly introduced (and poorly drawn) characters corresponds to each of the jars on the table. Without that basic knowledge-to be fair, after the second successful Vegas trip, we pretty much know the drill-the movie becomes stagnant, maybe just a little bit boring. About those poorly drawn characters: we know why Ben and, to a certain extent, his love interest Jill (Kate Bosworth) are involved in the gang. But the other three members? No idea. Presumably it´s to cover tuition and living expense, not to mention keep them all from working menial jobs. But there´s no "there" to them. Choi (Aaron Yoo), Kianna (Liza Lapira) and Fisher (Jacob Pitts) serve no function in the story other than to be glorified background extras for the blackjack scenes. Why have any of them signed on for this endeavor? The pull of a large pay day not withstanding, what is their individual motivation? The story doesn´t seem to care about them, instead content to give them all single lines designed to flesh out the character. Choi gets drunk after their first win with Ben; Fisher meets up with a stripper or two. Then they recede into the background again. It´s a curious thing, to boot. A rather large development occurs with Fisher halfway through the film, suggesting a course of action for him. We expect to see it, based on all the conventions of the genre and films in general. Yet the adapted screenplay (from the book by Ben Mezrich) doesn´t go there, to its credit. Where it does go, as the final "twist," is quite obvious based on other information within the movie. In Sturgess´ very first scene, I found myself cringing over the acting-or, rather, non-acting. As he talks to the dean of admissions, there is a scene the actor is doing nothing more than reciting lines with no emotion behind them. His face barely changes expression while the words coming out of his mouth fall harmlessly onto the floor. Perhaps that was the direction for the scene to show his progress from "nerd" to "cool guy." Thankfully, he gets much better quickly and the acting generally isn´t a problem. Fishburne´s character Cole Williams is a problem, though. We´re given small drops of a subplot indicating his company is down to one client in Vegas since every security outfit is upgrading to facial recognition software. A worthwhile idea to explore, yet it falls completely by the wayside. The premise can´t sustain a film by itself, so it would need to be included in an existing concept, but the idea of man being pushed out by computers can be compelling. Williams as a character never is. He´s the obligatory bad guy, cigarette chomping and doing whatever needs to be done, no matter how illegal it may be. Card counting is not illegal. That point is made several times, quite pointedly. So when Ben eventually gets found out (please, it´s not a spoiler…anyone who´s seen a movie knows it´s going to happen) and subsequently gets beaten up, a thought ran through my head: how is this legal? It can´t be, quite simply. A law suit would boil down to "he said, she said" most likely and bring undue media attention to the participants; as the movie tells us, though, it´s not illegal to count cards. Holding someone against their will, not to mention beating them up, has to be. It´s really the one false note in the film. Side plots preaching the power of friendship and not letting friends down are ham-handed at best, clichéd at worst. Of course a guy who looks like Sturgess hangs around with a Jonah Hill-wannabe, lamenting his lack of luck with women. Cue rolling the eyes. If a film wants us to believe a character has a problem-say, blindness-don´t put said character in the drivers seat of a car. If you want to convey a virgin college student, then cast an actor we can buy in the role. Not Jim Sturgess. (One comment on the ending: Ben is told he needs to dazzle Harvard Med to get the scholarship he needs. Specifically, the dean has to understand how far he´ll go to acquire the money. Now, in the final scene, we see Ben retelling his story in an attempt to "dazzle." If, for the sake of argument, Ben gets in, what does that say? Cheating is rewarded in the long run? It´s a message I don´t like, considering the way the movie is left. Sure, he gets beat up and loses a lot of money…but he gets a free ride to Harvard Med and gets the girl? Not the moral anyone wants to be projecting, I think.) Despite all my misgivings (particularly thanks to unending advertising during "Big Brother"), "21" doesn´t fail nearly as much as it could have. Aside from being a couple years too late and a few character issues, it engages and never lets go, even when we think we´re one step ahead of the story. Is it great? Not even close. But it provides entertainment between the dog days of winter and the summer blockbusters. A 6 out of 10.
]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:22:29 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog6/6/2008 2:22:29 PM"21" is a movie out of its time. The public craze of gambling-poker, five card stud and the like-which started (and arguably stopped) in the earlier part of this decade is the central theme. More specifically, how to cheat at the card games in a casino. Had the film, based on a true story, been released before the last star crossed gambling film (2007&acute;s oft-delayed and much criticized "Lucky You"), it may have stood a chance. But even with household names like Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne to anchor the cast of relative newcomers, it is a story trying to recapture a fad. Almost like the net effect of a movie based on the 1990&acute;s collectible dolls called Trolls. It preys on our (presumably good) memories about "Celebrity Poker Showdown" and "Rounders" while reinforcing a negative message about cheating. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) has a problem. While he&acute;s a veritable genius, he wants to get into Harvard Medical School. The problem? The estimated $300,000 for admittance. So he falls into a card counting "club" headed by Professor Micky Rosa (Spacey). When the group initially scores big in Vegas, a security officer (Laurence Fishburne) starts to notice Ben in particular. Then, the game is afoot. There is an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" which handles this basic premise with more flair, fun and stakes than "21" can ever hope to. In that installment, the senior staff of the space station play along in a holographic simulation of Las Vegas in order to "steal" money and prevent a holographic friend from being "killed." It sets up the science fiction plot and runs the audience through the entire scheme using video montage with a voiceover. In essence, we see the way the "theft" is supposed to go down before the crew attempts it, thereby allowing us to see where it goes wrong. "21" attempts a similar filmmaking construct using salt and pepper shakers, not to mention a mustard container, in a restaurant. The issue? This explanation relies on the audience to remember which of our newly introduced (and poorly drawn) characters corresponds to each of the jars on the table. Without that basic knowledge-to be fair, after the second successful Vegas trip, we pretty much know the drill-the movie becomes stagnant, maybe just a little bit boring. About those poorly drawn characters: we know why Ben and, to a certain extent, his love interest Jill (Kate Bosworth) are involved in the gang. But the other three members? No idea. Presumably it&acute;s to cover tuition and living expense, not to mention keep them all from working menial jobs. But there&acute;s no "there" to them. Choi (Aaron Yoo), Kianna (Liza Lapira) and Fisher (Jacob Pitts) serve no function in the story other than to be glorified background extras for the blackjack scenes. Why have any of them signed on for this endeavor? The pull of a large pay day not withstanding, what is their individual motivation? The story doesn&acute;t seem to care about them, instead content to give them all single lines designed to flesh out the character. Choi gets drunk after their first win with Ben; Fisher meets up with a stripper or two. Then they recede into the background again. It&acute;s a curious thing, to boot. A rather large development occurs with Fisher halfway through the film, suggesting a course of action for him. We expect to see it, based on all the conventions of the genre and films in general. Yet the adapted screenplay (from the book by Ben Mezrich) doesn&acute;t go there, to its credit. Where it does go, as the final "twist," is quite obvious based on other information within the movie. In Sturgess&acute; very first scene, I found myself cringing over the acting-or, rather, non-acting. As he talks to the dean of admissions, there is a scene the actor is doing nothing more than reciting lines with no emotion behind them. His face barely changes expression while the words coming out of his mouth fall harmlessly onto the floor. Perhaps that was the direction for the scene to show his progress from "nerd" to "cool guy." Thankfully, he gets much better quickly and the acting generally isn&acute;t a problem. Fishburne&acute;s character Cole Williams is a problem, though. We&acute;re given small drops of a subplot indicating his company is down to one client in Vegas since every security outfit is upgrading to facial recognition software. A worthwhile idea to explore, yet it falls completely by the wayside. The premise can&acute;t sustain a film by itself, so it would need to be included in an existing concept, but the idea of man being pushed out by computers can be compelling. Williams as a character never is. He&acute;s the obligatory bad guy, cigarette chomping and doing whatever needs to be done, no matter how illegal it may be. Card counting is not illegal. That point is made several times, quite pointedly. So when Ben eventually gets found out (please, it&acute;s not a spoiler&hellip;anyone who&acute;s seen a movie knows it&acute;s going to happen) and subsequently gets beaten up, a thought ran through my head: how is this legal? It can&acute;t be, quite simply. A law suit would boil down to "he said, she said" most likely and bring undue media attention to the participants; as the movie tells us, though, it&acute;s not illegal to count cards. Holding someone against their will, not to mention beating them up, has to be. It&acute;s really the one false note in the film. Side plots preaching the power of friendship and not letting friends down are ham-handed at best, clich&eacute;d at worst. Of course a guy who looks like Sturgess hangs around with a Jonah Hill-wannabe, lamenting his lack of luck with women. Cue rolling the eyes. If a film wants us to believe a character has a problem-say, blindness-don&acute;t put said character in the drivers seat of a car. If you want to convey a virgin college student, then cast an actor we can buy in the role. Not Jim Sturgess. (One comment on the ending: Ben is told he needs to dazzle Harvard Med to get the scholarship he needs. Specifically, the dean has to understand how far he&acute;ll go to acquire the money. Now, in the final scene, we see Ben retelling his story in an attempt to "dazzle." If, for the sake of argument, Ben gets in, what does that say? Cheating is rewarded in the long run? It&acute;s a message I don&acute;t like, considering the way the movie is left. Sure, he gets beat up and loses a lot of money&hellip;but he gets a free ride to Harvard Med and gets the girl? Not the moral anyone wants to be projecting, I think.) Despite all my misgivings (particularly thanks to unending advertising during "Big Brother"), "21" doesn&acute;t fail nearly as much as it could have. Aside from being a couple years too late and a few character issues, it engages and never lets go, even when we think we&acute;re one step ahead of the story. Is it great? Not even close. But it provides entertainment between the dog days of winter and the summer blockbusters. A 6 out of 10. http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Recasting_THE_BREAKFAST_CLUB_1985/563/28132/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: indieabby88
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 5/3/2008 1:12:10 AM
Body: Alright, let's take a stab at this thing, shall we? Channing Tatum (Stop-Loss) - Andrew Clark Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker) - Brian Ralph Johnson Charlie Hunnam (Green Street Hooligans)- John Bender Kate Bosworth (21) -Claire Standish Nora Zehetner (Brick) -Allison Reynolds Vincent D'Onofrio -Richard Vernon Anthony Michael Hall- Carl
]]>Sat, 03 May 2008 05:12:10 GMTindieabby88Filmgaming5/3/2008 1:12:10 AMAlright, let's take a stab at this thing, shall we? Channing Tatum (Stop-Loss) - Andrew Clark Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker) - Brian Ralph Johnson Charlie Hunnam (Green Street Hooligans)- John Bender Kate Bosworth (21) -Claire Standish Nora Zehetner (Brick) -Allison Reynolds Vincent D'Onofrio -Richard Vernon Anthony Michael Hall- Carl http://www.spout.com/blogs/mrbuckyk/archive/2008/4/20/27547.aspx Post By: mrbuckyk
Post To: mrbuckyk Blog
Post Date: 4/20/2008 2:17:02 AM
Body: Watched this in gambling country which kind of added to the film... it was entertaining if not a little formulaic/predictable. Not really worth going to the movies for. More of a renter. Great soundtrack, lots of techno. Even has an exclusive LCD Soundsystem track on there.
]]>Sun, 20 Apr 2008 06:17:02 GMTmrbuckykmrbuckyk Blog4/20/2008 2:17:02 AMWatched this in gambling country which kind of added to the film... it was entertaining if not a little formulaic/predictable. Not really worth going to the movies for. More of a renter. Great soundtrack, lots of techno. Even has an exclusive LCD Soundsystem track on there. http://www.spout.com/blogs/minjoe/archive/2008/4/3/26937.aspx Post By: minjoe
Post To: minjoe Blog
Post Date: 4/3/2008 8:06:31 PM
Body: Not since the hit gambling film Rounders have I found myself looking forward to seeing a movie of this nature. While I enjoy playing cards, I usually find blockbusters about any form of gambling to be riddled with cliches and usually pretty boring. With a cast that included the likes of Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth, I expected 21 to be different......I was wrong...This movie revolves around a group of MIT students who learn how to count cards and spend their weekends in Vegas racking up cash. In theory, this sounds like an action packed, solid idea. However, the movie is painfully long and takes a great deal of time to get going. About 45 minutes into the movie I found myself already losing intererst wondering why I should care about their method to counting cards when it was incredibly obvious the director of this film had no desire to actually try and make the audience understand how that works.Thus, for around the first hour you are treated to some of the most trite and over the top dialouge I have ever heard from someone playing a college professor, courtesey of the usually great Kevin Spacey. In fact, as a whole the dialouge throughout this film was laughable at best and downright embarassing at worst. The problem is that the plot of the film is also flimsy and is therefore reliant on the actors to save it and they fail miserably in their attempt to do so...As the film "picks up steam" it does have redeemable moments, but they are far outweighed by the negatives. So much of what they do is never fully explained, their trips to Vegas are filled with gaping plot holes, and their time at MIT is so cliche at times that you will laugh out loud with the rest of the audience.At the end of this film, which runs a touch over 2 long hours, you will be very happy to be leaving the theatre.
]]>Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:06:31 GMTminjoeminjoe Blog4/3/2008 8:06:31 PMNot since the hit gambling film Rounders have I found myself looking forward to seeing a movie of this nature. While I enjoy playing cards, I usually find blockbusters about any form of gambling to be riddled with cliches and usually pretty boring. With a cast that included the likes of Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth, I expected 21 to be different......I was wrong...This movie revolves around a group of MIT students who learn how to count cards and spend their weekends in Vegas racking up cash. In theory, this sounds like an action packed, solid idea. However, the movie is painfully long and takes a great deal of time to get going. About 45 minutes into the movie I found myself already losing intererst wondering why I should care about their method to counting cards when it was incredibly obvious the director of this film had no desire to actually try and make the audience understand how that works.Thus, for around the first hour you are treated to some of the most trite and over the top dialouge I have ever heard from someone playing a college professor, courtesey of the usually great Kevin Spacey. In fact, as a whole the dialouge throughout this film was laughable at best and downright embarassing at worst. The problem is that the plot of the film is also flimsy and is therefore reliant on the actors to save it and they fail miserably in their attempt to do so...As the film &quot;picks up steam&quot; it does have redeemable moments, but they are far outweighed by the negatives. So much of what they do is never fully explained, their trips to Vegas are filled with gaping plot holes, and their time at MIT is so cliche at times that you will laugh out loud with the rest of the audience.At the end of this film, which runs a touch over 2 long hours, you will be very happy to be leaving the theatre. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
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