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| Jim Sturgess in the role of MIT whiz kid Ben Cambell |
As most people know, school can be extremely expensive and
for character Ben Cambell (from film adaptation of the book Bringing Down The House, 21) this reality can be unforgiving.
Coming from a modest household, Whiz kid MIT student Ben Cambell must overcome
the herculean task of amassing $300,000, the admission cost of Harvard Medical
School. Realising Ben’s potential, professor Micky Rosa (played by Kevin
Spacey) invites Ben to join the glamorous underground world of card counting
where he and a group of MIT students visit Vegas on weekends to win money.
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| Kevin Spacey as prof. Micky Rosa |
Though this
movie was not exceedingly deep, it was an enjoyable watch none the less. The
cast did a good job; in particular Kevin Spacey usual to form, was excellent in
the role of Professor Rosa. All characters are believable (after all this is
based on a true story) and lines seem organic. However, some of the characters
seem to be overlooked when they would have benefited from more development.
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| Cast left to right: Jacob Pitts, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Liza Lapira and Aaron Yoo |
Overall the
movie looks good, with some excellent cinematography showcasing the bright
lights of Vegas. Great shots of the Vegas nightlife show the best of the Strip
which does good to differentiate the glamour from the humdrum atmosphere of
student ghettos in Boston. Sometimes effects are used which don’t look quite so
good, but these are few and far between so it is excusable.
The story
was told in a good voice with Ben narrating some of the more key aspects of his
life. As a character Ben is likeable and approachable which fits the story
well. The story is full of twists and turns but in the end it is predictable. A
non-linear storytelling style is used near the end which is used to limited
effect. Yet, despite this the story was engaging enough with character Ben
inspiring admiration.
As a movie 21 played it pretty close to the mold but all in all it did a
reasonably good job. It’s nothing special but it’s entertaining enough. If you’re
into the casino style movies this would be a good choice. If you’re looking for
a casual film this would be a good pick.
I've seen this trailer too, and it looked interesting. Not award-winningly fabulous, but interesting. You give a good review; simple but effective. Next time I need a fun but interesting movie, I'll check it out:)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy movies like this. I thjnk it's because there need to be an intelligent plot line in order for the film to be believable. Also I know very little about gambling, so it easily impressed me.
ReplyDeleteI saw a preveiw for the movie once but this isn't my kind of movie. Your reveiw however is very thorough and written well, it clearly gets the gist of the movie out to the readers.
ReplyDelete