The bestselling book by Ben Mezrich; Bringing Down the House tells the story of several MIT students who discover that by using mathematical methods of card counting they can gain a statistical edge at playing blackjack. The students find a sponsor and go on to make millions in nearby Las Vegas. This is based on the absolutely true story of the MIT Blackjack Teams. The story has now been remade as a promising new film titled 21 (aptly called in the 21st century) which was released this year towards the end of March (Bringing Down the House is already the name of an unrelated comedy film hence the need for n alternative name). In its first few weeks the movie 21 became a #1 box-office hit, despite some negative reviews from the movie critics. There are already downloadable ringtones available on the soundtrack.
The Movie 21 Boasts a Strong Cast
The movie has several points to recommend it. These include a strong cast who are well known for excellent character acting as well as participation in well thought out films and a production team of known quality. Kevin Spacey and Brett Ratner are the producers. Kevin also plays an important role in the film as Mickey Rosa (the big money backer). Other key actors include Kate Bosworth who plays the role of Jill Taylor, Jim Strugess who plays the leading role of Ben Campbell and several other rising actors like Laurence Fishburne (as Cole Williams) and Jacob Pitts (as Fisher). The combination of Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth is especially promising as this is already their third film together and they have already shown that they work well as a team. Another film they have starred in that is about to be released, is the latest Superman film. Take a look at the 21 Movie trailer below to whet your appetites:
Shooting at MIT
In fact the film was not shot at MIT. This was because the filming crew was unable to obtain permission for their filming on the MIT campus. Consequently, most of the filming was actually done at the Boston University and at the Christian Science Center in Boston.
A Sequel to 21?
Since Ben Mezrich eventually wrote a sequel to his book titled "Busting Vegas" which also went on to become a bestseller, we can hope (and expect) that if the movie 21 is a box-office success, a sequel will not be long in coming.
