21 doubles down

When describing the students across the Charles River at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the term “math nerds” is probably used more often than “Vegas high rollers.” However, the new movie 21 from Sony Pictures tells the by now well-known true story that changes all that. Based on Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich’s best-selling account of the M.I.T. students who used their exceptional math skills to make millions in Vegas, the story details the school’s secret blackjack team from the perspective of one of its members, Kevin Lewis (based on the real-life Jeff Ma). 21, which hits theaters March 28 and was partly filmed at Boston University, stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Laurence Fishburne. Sturg-ess, Mezrich and Ma sat for an interview with The Muse where they shared their experiences of making an unbelievable story come to life onscreen.

Muse: Jeff, how much of the book is true to your story?

Jeff Ma: I always tell people about 75 percent. Ben and I sat down every night for three weeks for about two to three hours and I told him every story I remembered from the times in Vegas. So he took that and turned it into a book. Now when you do that there’s going to be little details that don’t make sense in bridging the gap from one story to the next. In general the spirit of it is dead on. The clich’eacute; that truth is stranger than fiction definitely holds true in this case.

Ben Mezrich: The M.I.T. blackjack team was in existence for 25 years, so I combined some stories with Jeff’s stories. So I’d say 90 percent of the story is true to the M.I.T. blackjack team. The idea was to compress a time period into a readable narrative thriller.

Muse: How much input did you have on the script and casting?

BM: Kevin [Spacey, also a producer on the film] was really good about saying, “I want this to be as real as it is and close to the book, and I want you to be happy with it every level of the way.” I was definitely involved in all the conversations, and we saw screenplay drafts and we were on set. Normally as a book writer you get to show up at the premiere and that’s it. So we were very much a part of it.

Muse: Jim, did you actually understand the math concept of it or did you rely completely on your acting skills?

Muse: Jim Sturgess: No, couldn’t get my head around it at all. I mean we tried, we learned the basic strategy of blackjack but that’s really all you can do unless you are some sort of mathematical genius, which is why I think it’s so specific to these peoples’ story. It’s not something everyday people can do.

Muse: What drew you to the movie?

JS: The story I think. They sent me a script and told me it was inspired by a true story. Just the idea of these everyday people going against the system and coming out on top, it kind of heightens your interest. Plus I got to go to Vegas and wear designer suits.

Muse: Were you worried about doing an American accent?

JS: Yeah definitely. Anyone from England always thinks he can do an alright American accent, and you quickly learn once you’re put in a room with a dialect coach you can’t. I didn’t have much time — I had maybe two weeks before we started shooting, so it was pretty rushed.

Muse: What was it like filming in Vegas with all of the commotion still going on around you?

JS: It was insane. I remember I went to the toilet in the casino and I came back and I couldn’t find the film crew. That’s how crazy it is, to lose a film set in a casino. It’s not an easy thing to do, but only possible in Vegas. We kind of sectioned off areas of the casino because we couldn’t shut down the whole place. We’d be shooting a scene and something saying Wheel of Fortune! would be going off behind you.

Muse: Do you see any similarities between your character in the movie and yourself?

JS: Certainly. I think the fact that he needs a kind of push to think outside the box and not live in such a safe environment, I can see a lot of myself in that. I think acting really is the only thing that stops me from being like that. You’re often thrown into these difficult situations which makes you have to think and behave differently. But other than that, he’s a very intellectual human being, which I am not.

Muse: What was it like working with Kevin Spacey?

JS: He was cool. An amazing actor, great guy, fun guy, and a very intense guy when he had to be, which are all good things when making a movie. And I’ve seen so many of his films, and he’s certainly somebody I’ve been so aware of. I remember when he phoned me when I first got the part, I answered it and he said (in a dark voice) “Hello…it’s Kevin Spacey.” And I think I called him “Kev” on the phone and I was like, Oh sh*t.

Muse: What was the most challenging part about making 21?

JS: I don’t know, I mean, it felt like a big party. Everyone was pretty young on the set, the cast were young, the crew was young. We just had a blast. I guess the hardest part was trying to stay out of trouble in Vegas.

Muse: How do you feel about 21?

JS: I think the movie is awesome. It really captures the sort of spirit of what we did and what we felt. I wanted everyone that saw it coming away with that feeling like we won, we beat Vegas.