Exuberant, smart and fast-paced

Rating: 7/10 (10 April 2008)

In this exuberant, smart and fast-paced drama/comedy, there is no denying that you can't have fun watching a hard working, but financially struggling kid, Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) become seduced by the wily king of card-counting Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey). It is good to have thrown in such a veteran actor like Spacey into a mix of new comers like Campbell, Kate Bosworth or Aaron Yoo. Also Spacy produced the film, based on Ben Mezrich's autobiographical novel "Bringing Down The House" which chronicles the uprising and downfall of the group of card-counters. Campbell is a hard-working kid that uses his intellect to arouse the attention of his mathematics teacher, who just happens to be the leader of a group of intelligent cheaters who go to Las Vegas every weekend to, well, count-cards. At first Campbell is skeptical in taking part in such an activity, with a history as unnerving as it is, but being informed that there is no danger and it is not at all illegal, he rethinks, because in order to get into Harvard Med, he needs 300,000$. Mickey informs him that within a month of joining them on their escapades, he will have the money easily. The humor is spread through the film, the dramatic elements are the dangers that the weary kid faces, being Casinoss what they are with security, and the serious points about what greed and desire do to you. Campbell said he was only in for the money he needed to get into Harvard, but it is harder to stop then he thinks. That is why Spacey's role as Mickey is so important, the mentor is both guiding them on the table, and off the table. He was more right about Vegas then anyone. Director Robert Luketic's trip from chick flicks like "Legally Blonde" and "Monster-In-Law" to this was quite a voyage, but there is a sub-text that remains true to his conception that 'the law is the law, and heck if were gonna break it...'. And the lead protagonist in this film really developed from the quiet, geeky kid to the partying and greedy monster that Vegas spawned was a very down-hill, bumpy trip that would land him right back to the drawing board, but the end is one that came to no surprise, but to my regret, I can't tell you just yet. See it yourself, it was a fun trip. Funny.