Cold Deck

A confluence of elements got me to see the movie 21 this weekend, despite the fact that I'd been developing a "this doesn't look like it'll be that good" vibe about it over the last few weeks.

For one, I'd already read the book it was loosely based on, Bringing Down the House. It wasn't phenomenal, as I recall, but a decent enough, fun read. From what I remembered of it, though, I expected quite a lot of liberties would be taken with the story to transform it into a movie. I was hoping not to be disappointed in changes on that front.

On another count, Kevin Spacey is an actor I really enjoy watching in a film. Even when the movie sucks (and let's face it, not all of the movies he picks are winners), he builds a very compelling character, with unexpected nuances in the performance. He whispers when other actors would shout, zigs where others would zag, and yet makes it all believable.

In the end, I got what I suspected, though absolutely nothing more. The story of the movie did indeed depart from the book for the sake of "more conflict," and Kevin Spacey did indeed give a performance that elevated the material. Unfortunately, the material was in need of that helping hand.

Given the space and page count of a book, the author of Bringing Down the House was able to devote time both to explaining the nuances of card counting and the lure of being a high stakes player. You got both a full explanation of "the math" and of the intoxication of the experience. Probably, the movie should have tried to pick one of these aspects and really focus on it. Instead, it gives both short shrift.

The explanations of the card counting system, and the scenes about the training of the team, felt very rushed. I wondered, watching it, if they quite told enough for anyone not familiar with the book. Sure enough, after the film, the friends I went with had quite a lot of questions on this front.

As for the emotional side of it, that felt rushed too. Early on, you understand the desperation of the main character, a would-be doctor struggling to find money for his education. Later on, another character points out how his experiences have changed him. But the journey from A to B is mere lip service. You never feel Vegas "get its hooks" into the character, so his actions later in the film feel unmotivated -- they're simply what has to happen next to move the plot along.

Laurence Fishburne plays a one-note, thankless role as a manufactured villain, added to the film to put a face on the casinos out to break the MIT blackjack team. Kate Bosworth plays a love interest who doesn't really ever spark with the main character; during a supposedly passionate scene between the two of them, my eyes and mind wandered to the background, where incorrect Las Vegas geography was being displayed out the hotel window.

But man, Kevin Spacey does make a feast of every scene he's in. He kept the movie from being a total bore, but only raised it to "roughly average." There are plenty of other better "high stakes adventure" movies to watch before this C- effort.