21 (2008 film)

21 is an American film drama from the year 2008. The film is based on the journalistic non-fiction book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich, which the book presentation was only taken very loosely into the plot of the film. 21 had its world premiere on March 7, 2008 at the South by Southwest Film Festival. The book is based on the activities of the various MIT Blackjack Team, which with card counting at blackjack game toured the casinos in the world from 1979 until well into this century and great prize money earned.

Action

Ben Campbell is an outstanding student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who works with his friends on a research project for an art competition and dreams of receiving a medical degree from Harvard University. For that he needs not only an impressive resume, but also a lot of money. Since the offer of his math professor Micky Rosa him is just right, which recruited the most talented students of the faculty to learn the calculation of the card game Blackjack under his leadership. The group flies every weekend to Las Vegas and plays there under false identities in various casinos cards. By counting cards and a special sign language so they win large sums of money. It does not take long until Cole Williams, who is responsible for security in various casinos and a specialist in the field of strategic gaming is, attention is drawn to him and the group. Seduced by the wealth, the colorful lives in Las Vegas and the opportunity to build a relationship with his intelligent and handsome teammate Jill Taylor, Ben increased their bets on and on. Because he did not sufficiently take care of his research project, there is a dispute with his former best friends who feel neglected, accuse him of a lack of interest, and finally no longer want to work with him. From then Ben is frustrated one evening leaves at the table not to be rational thinking and ignores the character of his associates to end the game. He loses all at once two hundred thousand dollars, resulting in dispute with Professor Rosa who reclaims the lost money from Ben. Ben refuses, however, and throws pink before to take any risks with the thing and still abzukassieren. Rosa then moves alone seems to Boston back and lets the four students back in Vegas. The group decides after some discussion now under the new leadership of Ben without their old leader to continue playing.

Professor Rosa, however, is still in Las Vegas, watched the troops and tells Ben anonymously to Cole, it thereafter intercept at the table and beats up in a separate room. After returning to Boston Ben noticed that Pink stole his entire erspieltes assets and has flunk, which is necessary for the conclusion of him in his course. Ben's prospects seem increasingly dissolve in air, since both be graduating from MIT, and his further career at Harvard University are at risk. He therefore Micky Rosa before one last job. Together they want covered - for a special recognition software has already saved their faces - the casino empty spaces.

On that evening, they are observed by Williams, who now sees the chance to finally strike. At the last moment the card counter can escape, not without separating it. Rosa flees with the loot in a car, only to discover there to have fallen into the hands of Williams people and also the prey was replaced by Ben sent against chocolate chips. Ben meets Williams and it becomes clear that the two had agreed this approach. Cole sensed from the beginning Micky Rosa behind the action, which caused earlier times already for a financial break-in a casino, which led to the dismissal of Williams. Ben needs to pass his earned income to Williams, who wants to sit with it to rest. Back in Boston, Ben reconciled with his friends and gets his MIT degree. In addition, his friends may also comfortable with numbers and analyzed the card game. Together they form a new team which earned large sums of money. For the issue of the Harvard scholarship, he impressed at the end of the film clearly the competent judge, by telling him his exciting life story.

Background

The film's title refers to the French card game Vingt et un (French for " twenty-one " ), of which the game of blackjack is derived.

In the film, two mathematical strategies, especially in the fields of probability and statistics, shown to increase in gambling chances of winning.

  • Called The Game Show Problem, Monty Hall problem or Monty Hall Problem: This strategy refers to game shows in which three doors to choose from, with a behind a profit and behind the other two studs are located. The issue is solved mathematically and is nowadays often as an introduction to probability theory.
  • The card counting: The method is hardly or no longer used in today's games due to retaliation by the casinos for card issuance.

Originally Kevin Spacey was intended only as a producer of the film, but then the role of Mickey Rosa by Peter Steinfeld was written for Spacey, so that he was both before and behind the camera involved in the production of the film. The casino of the MGM Grand Hotel was one of the casinos, which was brought by the MIT Blackjack Team to Jeff Ma by counting cards to larger amounts of money. Nevertheless - or perhaps because of - MGM took over the production of the film and the operators of the casino agreed to the filming in their casino, which were carried out at running casino operation. One of the participating MIT students Jeff Ma, got a cameo as a blackjack dealer Jeffrey at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. In this role, he is the main character Ben Campbell with the words " Jeffrey, my brother in spirit" welcomed as an allusion to the origin of Ben's role. For the interiors, which played at MIT, the premises of the University of Boston have been used, since no film permit for the premises WITH existed.

Criticism

" Despite a good cast and an exciting story loses the story ," according to Alina Bacher movie starts " towards the end unfortunately a little ride, what the popcorn fun but does not spoil much. Who scarce two hours good and thrilling entertainment would like is just right to consult with " 21 ". " Margret Köhler of kino.de praised the performers, as the" tingly - exciting trip to the glittering world lives by Jim Sturgess as a shy high-flyer and Oscar winner Kevin Spacey as durchtriebenem puppet masters ".

Novel to movie

  • 21 by Ben Mezrich, April 2008, Heyne Verlag, ISBN 3-453-40583-8

Soundtrack

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