21 (2008)

Genre

Drama

Director

Robert Luketic

Country

USA

Cast

Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Aaron Yoo, Kieu Chinh, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Jack McGee, Josh Gad, Sam Golzari, Helen Carey, Jack Gilpin, Spencer Garrett, Jeff Ma, Kris Williams

Storyline

In order to be accepted into Harvard School of Medicine, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) will have to save $300,000 for the course. Only problem about this is the Ben can't get this amount of money. After being impressed by his skills in his Math's lesson, Prof. Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) invites Ben to become a member of a small group; a group who are planning to walk out of Vegas with millions, thanks to Ben's card counting.

Opinion

Filmmakers love casinos. Probably because casinos always have some kind of charm. Robert Luketic is no different than others, and brought to the table "21", an entertaining, but very clichéd gambling/heist film.

So the film is based on Ben Mezrich's "Bringing Down the House", and it's my understanding it is inspired by a true story. Let me start by saying that I did not read the book, and I am not familiar with this particular story. That being said, the story is decent but very clichéd up until the end where things are very unpredictable, and the ending is really unexpected. And that kind of makes up for earlier plot points.

The film is well paced, and gracefully alternates between fast-paced Vegas casino action and slower moments wherein the group plan the heist. But two hours are a lot of time, and filling some of that time with that half-baked love story, and Ben taking in the high life is a waste.

The performances could have been better. Kevin Spacey, seriously my favourite actor and the reason I watched this film, and Laurence Fishburne give routine performances as if they didn't care much for the film. They are not bad, they just seem careless. Jim Sturgess is decent as Ben, the leading mathematical genius, but he doesn't quite manage to pull off the various emotional shadings required. And Kate Bosworth contributes with her typical flat performance as the love interest.

The Gambler (1974)

Genre

Drama

Director

Karel Reisz

Country

USA

Cast

James Caan, Paul Sorvino Lauren Hutton, Morris Carnovsky, Jacqueline Brookes, Burt Young, Carmine Caridi, Vic Tayback, Steven Keats, London Lee, M. Emmet Walsh, James Woods, Beatrice Winde, Antonio Fargas

Storyline

Axel Freed (James Caan) is a literature professor. He has the gambling vice. When he has lost all his money, he borrows from his girlfriend (Lauren Hutton), then his mother (Jacqueline Brookes) and finally some bad guys that chase him. Despite all of this he cannot stop gambling.

Opinion

The criticism that has been expressed over the new remake starring Mark Wahlberg, which I haven't seen, gave me the motivation I needed to watch the original, and I fail to see why on Earth this film needed a remake in the first place.

"The Gambler" is an engrossing, intense thriller masquerading as a drama about gambling addiction as well as a great character study.

The title pretty much sums up the story, with the main character, Axel Freed, being a compulsive gambler. From the very beginning the film starts building the suspense very gradually until the edge of climax, and it keeps you wondering what Axel will do next as the film goes along.

More than anything else the film is a character study. A brilliant, even though quite depressing character study of a personality type than unfortunately is too prevalent in our society. Axel Freed is by no means a likable character; like most addicts all he cares about is his next hit. Though the most surprisingly aspect about this man is that despite his intelligence - he is a college professor -, and despite the pleading of the (rich) loved ones, he keeps on gambling because he is so addicted to risk he couldn't do otherwise.

Like Dostoyevsky's "Underground Man", to whom the film pays homage, "The Gambler" embraces the irrational will where two plus two equal five, where poets, athletes, and addicts know, feel that something against the odds is going to happen. It's very unlikely to happen, yet they bet against the odds because they feel it.

I read that James Caan was a cocaine addict at the time the film was made, and it does explain his intense acting. But his performance as Axel Freed is brilliant. The supporting cast also does a good job, and Victor J. Kemper's cinematography is excellent. 

Mention-Worthy Quotes

Axel Freed: I'm not going to lose it. I'm going to gamble it.