Ben (Sturgess) is getting straight A's at MIT and on the way to Harvard Med School. Except he can't afford the fees. Then a professor (Spacey) asks him to join a secret group of brainy students who spend weekends in Vegas counting cards and making a fortune at blackjack. The main temptation, besides the money, is that the campus hottie (Bosworth) is on the team. But Ben is bitten by the gambling bug and success goes to his head as he ignores his old MIT pals (Gad and Golzari).

There's a great morality tale in here somewhere, but you probably need to read Ben Mezrich's book Bringing Down the House to get it. This film struggles with authenticity from the beginning as it dumbs down everything for easily pleased audiences. In other words, there are too may musical montages, red herrings and twists that are inevitable and/or inexplicable. There's also the problem that card games are extremely boring to watch. Swooping effects and flashy editing can't hide the fact that we never care what's happening on the table.

On the other hand, the cast is fresh and enjoyable in crudely defined roles that aren't very likeable. Sturgess is always watchable (see also Across the Universe and The Other Boleyn Girl), while Bosworth makes a decent foil even if we know exactly where they're heading. Spacey shamelessly chomps the scenery, going way over the top in most scenes, while Fishburne's casino security expert is more subdued but just as hammy. Although they can't really help overacting with dialog this corny.

Visually, this is one of those anonymous Hollywood products that could have been directed by anyone: full of slick and showy touches that try desperately to distract us from an appallingly thin script. instead of trusting the source material, the studio has wedged in a revenge-sting finale that's frankly insulting. And the simplistic Important Life Lessons are trumpeted as if the film actually has something to say.

themes, language, violence

19.Feb.08