In 2004, Canadian drama film "The Last Casino" was released, directed by Pierre Gill and written by Steven Westren. The movie is based on the story of the MIT Blackjack Team, a group of students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology who were trained by Bill Kaplan to count cards in blackjack.

The film tells the story of Doug Barnes, a mathematics professor who uses card counting to play blackjack at casinos. When he gets banned from one casino, he recruits three students – George, Scott, and Elyse – to help him count cards and win big. The team's plan is to work together to fleece the casinos, but things don't go as smoothly as they had hoped.

The movie features a talented cast, including Charles Martin Smith as Doug Barnes, Katharine Isabelle as Elyse, Kris Lemche as Scott, Julian Richings as Orr, and Albert Chung as George. The film also has a strong focus on mathematics, particularly in the way that the characters use card counting to gain an advantage.

Critics have given "The Last Casino" mixed reviews. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critic rating of 63% based on over 250 reviews. While some critics have praised the film's portrayal of mathematics and its talented cast, others have found it to be a bit too amateurish and contrived.

In comparison to other films about card counting, "The Last Casino" is often compared to the more well-known film "21," released in 2008. While both films are based on the same true story, they have some key differences. "21" features a larger cast of characters and a more dramatic storyline, while "The Last Casino" focuses more on the mathematical aspects of card counting.

Overall, "The Last Casino" is a fascinating film that explores the world of card counting and mathematics. While it may not be as well-known as some other films in the genre, it has its own unique charms and is definitely worth watching for fans of mathematics and true stories.

Cast

• Charles Martin Smith as Doug Barnes
• Katharine Isabelle as Elyse
• Kris Lemche as Scott
• Julian Richings as Orr
• Albert Chung as George

Crew

• Director: Pierre Gill
• Writer: Steven Westren
• Producer: [Unknown]

Awards and Nominations

• None listed

References

• Canadian Feature Film Database. (2015). "The Last Casino", Retrieved on April 2, 2018.
• IMDb. (n.d.). The Last Casino, Retrieved on May 17, 2024.

Trivia

• The film was shot in Ontario, Canada.
• The movie is based on the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team.
• The team's strategy is explained briefly in the film, showing how they use a simple mapping function to count cards.