21 (2008) - Kevin Spacey's blackjack movie

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I rewatched this one last night. First time I had seen it in several years.

Thoughts on it?

Personally, I've been interested in blackjack for a long time. At one point I was even putting serious effort into learning to count cards, but I just never could put together a sizable enough bankroll to make it worth it. I think it's a fascinating game though, especially in that it's one of the very few games in which a player can gain a mathematical edge over the casino.

Knowing a bit about real-world pro blackjack, I thought 21 was good but not great. It serves as a fairly good look into the world of blackjack team play, and the way that teams figured out how to outsmart the casinos to the tune of millions of dollars.

Its faults mostly lie in the way that they took a true story and Hollywood-ized it. Lawrence Fishburne's character was just not believable in this day and age of corporate-owned casinos. They're just not taking guys into the backroom and beating the shit out of them anymore. That's old-school mob shit and faded away when guys like Steve Wynn took Vegas over.

All in all, I think 21 is a pretty good movie and worth a watch, and it is to my knowledge the only big-budget blackjack movie in existence, but it could've been better.

The story, by the way, is based on the true account of the MIT blackjack team, which was told in one of the best and most interesting books I've ever read in my life: Bringing Down the House. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to read.


 
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Was hoping for big things but it ended up being pretty average, kind of like that poker one with Eric Bana. It seems like it's just difficult to make good movies about card games and gambling, as it is with a number of sports. Football, baseball and boxing consistently make for good movies. Anything else and you're pedaling uphill, and if you make a good one (Rounders, Miracle, Rush) it really stands out.
 
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BisexualMMA said:
Was hoping for big things but it ended up being pretty average, kind of like that poker one with Eric Bana. It seems like it's just difficult to make good movies about card games and gambling, as it is with a number of sports. Football, baseball and boxing make for good movies. Anything else and you're pedaling uphill.
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I thought it was a fairly average film, but the subject matter is inherently interesting enough that it elevates the material. I do think that with a little more work on the script, and a little less Hollywood-ization of the story, it could've been better. I thought Bringing Down the House was a fascinating book and didn't need to be "spruced up" by the screenwriters.

I don't think I know of a poker movie with Eric Bana. What's it called? In any case, Rounders proved that you really can make a great card movie, but you need a smart script.
 
shadow_priest_x said:
I thought it was a fairly average film, but the subject matter is inherently interesting enough that it elevates the material. I do think that with a little more work on the script, and a little less Hollywood-ization of the story, it could've been better. I thought Bringing Down the House was a fascinating book and didn't need to be "spruced up" by the screenwriters.

I don't think I know of a poker movie with Eric Bana. What's it called? In any case, Rounders proved that you really can make a great card movie, but you need a smart script.
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Lucky You.
 
BisexualMMA said:
Was hoping for big things but it ended up being pretty average, kind of like that poker one with Eric Bana. It seems like it's just difficult to make good movies about card games and gambling, as it is with a number of sports. Football, baseball and boxing consistently make for good movies. Anything else and you're pedaling uphill, and if you make a good one (Rounders, Miracle, Rush) it really stands out.
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Basketball gave us Hoosiers, White Men Can't Jump, Blue Chips, He Got Game, Above the Rim, etc. I'd say its held its own.
 
shadow_priest_x said:
I thought it was a fairly average film, but the subject matter is inherently interesting enough that it elevates the material. I do think that with a little more work on the script, and a little less Hollywood-ization of the story, it could've been better. I thought Bringing Down the House was a fascinating book and didn't need to be "spruced up" by the screenwriters.

I don't think I know of a poker movie with Eric Bana. What's it called? In any case, Rounders proved that you really can make a great card movie, but you need a smart script.
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I really enjoyed Lucky You. I actually came into the thread to ask what you thought of that movie compared to 21 lol.
 
MIT anything with a token Asian.

HAHAHHAHHH.

No.
 
Book is much better. I've met the author, Ben Metzer; he's a good friend of a good friend of mine.
 
loyalyolayal said:
Asians. There's 2 of them. Not really token.
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plus the book was written over 20 years ago.

edit: wow, it came out in 2002.
That must not have come out after I met him the first time.

bcov_bringingdown.jpg
 
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sjon22 said:
I really enjoyed Lucky You. I actually camw into the thread to ask what you thought of that movie compared to 21 lol.
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I'll have to check it out. I tend to like gambling movies, provided they stick fairly close to what gambling in real life is like.
 
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Anung Un Rama said:
Book is much better. I've met the author, Ben Metzer; he's a good friend of a good friend of mine.
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Ben Mezrich, I think you mean.

But yeah, the book is fucking excellent. I tend to be a slow reader but I ended up reading it in about three days. Normally a book that size would've taken me a couple of weeks.

I also read his book The Accidental Billionaires, which was the source material for The Social Network. That too was a good read.
 
I remember I watched Rounders back in the day and thought it was so cool

Nowadays I watch and I just think lol 90's
 
shadow_priest_x said:
I'll have to check it out. I tend to like gambling movies, provided they stick fairly close to what gambling in real life is like.

Shit, maybe I'll even watch it tonight if I can find it.
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IMO its on par with 21. But i find it an easier movie to watch. Its biggest weakness is it goes into poker very basically so people who have never played it can still enjoy the movie. Lots of poker pros are extras in the film. Its enjoyable but not on the same level as a movie like Rounders. Worth a watch forsure, I think it might have been on Nexflix.
 
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