Life Experience

"You had a life experience."

That was what Ben's bestfriend Miles told him after he finally confessed what he, Ben, had been up to for 17 weekends. Ben, an exceptional MIT student who dreams of going to Harvard Medical School but can't afford it, was lured to join a team of student-blackjack "counters" who plays in Las Vegas to win big, big, bucks.

That was the basic plot of the movie "21" which I saw yesterday afternoon in Greenbelt 3. In this overpopulated world, I found myself alone and nothing else to do after my morning yoga class. I was suppose to lunch out with my yoga friend but the date was reset so I scrambled for company. It is very rare for me to watch a movie alone as it depresses me a bit (saw P.S. I Love You alone, I cried a river).

With my laptop backpack in tow, I went to the ticket counter and picked the movie which I can watch earliest. 21 had a 1:30 pm screening which was perfect for me as I had to meet another friend at 4 pm. I bought lunch at Wrapwich, reliving my favorite after work in Makati ritual of watching a movie, eating a wrapwich and drinking Sola Lemon.

Sitting alone inside the cinema, I thought it was some sort of a preview of my life alone in Sydney where I imagine myself to be going around and carrying with me my laptop backpack which would also contain my yoga clothes and implements (shampoo, soap, Satsuma body butter...). As soon as the trailers were shown, I was instantly reminded the pleasure of seeing a movie on the big screen. I thought that the trailer of The Dark Night focused too much on Heath Ledger (you'd thought he was the Dark Knight... where is Batman anyway?) I almost saw myself, gleefully grinning ear to ear and nearly stomping my feet while watching the trailer of Kung Fu Panda (oh, I will surely watch it - will be shown on the 4th)    

Oh I enjoyed 21 a lot! I have not played Blackjack ever in my life and I thought I will be bored to death if I am unable to follow their technique and how they win. But then again, the movie kept me on the edge of my seat, and it had a lot of brilliant moments. I couldn't place why I get chills down my spine watching the Vegas thug Cole Williams played by Lawrence Fishburne until I realized he was Morpheus in the Matrix Trilogy. I thought Jim Sturgess who played Ben Campbell looked like a young Paul Mc Cartney and it turned out he's a Brit. I haven't seen Across The Universe, but I read that he played the lead role in that movie.

The Rolling Stone's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" played as the credits rolled. Indeed. What is ironic is the more you want to get something, the more desperate your actions get the longer it takes for you to get it. Oh, sometimes you really won't have it, ever. And then even when you finally get what you want, don't be so sure - it could slip through your hands as fast as a cheetah can sprint. Ben gambled everything: his academic standing, his bestfriends, his mother's trust, his old life. He might not have gotten what he wanted so badly but well, he got a life experience, and (though this is kinda unrealistic) the "hottest chick" on campus. He placed his eggs all in one, though kinda big, basket. 

My favorite quote from the movie was from Prof. Micky Rosa, echoed by Ben: 

"Always account for variable change."