Home Video: 21

21
Directed by Robert Luketic
Released March 28, 2008

This movie fits the prototype of a story with a protagonist who starts off leading a relatively slow normal life with his fair share of problems and then eventually gets entranced by and embroiled in a fantasy lifestyle. There’s little more to this film than that one-line description. Jim Sturgess, who hit it big last year with “Across the Universe,” has immense trouble masking his British accent and mustering up enough enthusiasm to play his role effectively. Kate Bosworth manages to be the biggest waste of space since Patrick Dempsey in “Enchanted” last year. Kevin Spacey tries his very best and gives an impressive performance given the material. The remainder of their card-counting team is well-cast, but it’s not like any of them have much to do. Laurence Fishburne should be glad that he should soon be joining the cast of “CSI” since great roles seem to be eluding him lately. The casting decision I take issue with most is Josh Gad as our protagonist’s best friend. Gad is hardly a good actor, and if he must be in something, I’d hope he’s relegated to his unfunny role on the even unfunnier sitcom “Back to You” and the sure-to-be-awful upcoming comedy “The Rocker.” He certainly doesn’t belong in this film. The fact that I stress Gad’s miscasting so much is that there is little to say about the film. It’s entirely predictable and none too rewarding.

F