Customer Reviews

Criminal

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As one of the many foreign film devotees who rank writer Fabián Bielinsky's 2000 film NUEVE REINAS from Argentina as one of the best caper films ever, I was completely satisfied with the 'American made version' CRIMINAL. Bielinsky co-wrote this screenplay with director Gregory Jacobs and the result is a terse, witty, fascinating, intelligent film that deserves 5 stars in every category.

Transposing the story (which takes place in one day) to Los Angeles opens up even more avenues of social comment than the original. The use of the various areas of LA that span from the wealth of Beverly Hills to the grandeur of the downtown Biltmore Hotel to the scruffy East LA neighborhoods and other underbellies of Sun City truly match the flow of the story.

Smarmy Richard Gaddis (John C. Reilly) is a small time crook who has experienced every aspect of con games. He dresses like a businessman, drives a Mercedes, and believes that if you're going to con the wealth out of money (which he does without conscience), you must look professional. He observes Rodrigo (Diego Luna) in a cafe doing some very minor con games and when Rodrigo is apparently 'caught', Richard acts the part of a vice officer and saves Rodrigo from being arrested. Here begins their partnership: Richard needs a sideman to assist in an important grifter scheme involving selling a valuable money bill (instead of the stamps with nine queens of the original); Rodrigo (who Richard re-names Brian to Anglicize him so he won't appear a Cholo) needs big money to pay off his father's gambling debt. Through a series of introductory can games they learn to 'trust' each other and the big game begins.

The fast and furious process of the big grift flows with many incidents that are clever, convincingly intriguing, and introduces many characters in its path, each of whom plays a more major role than anyone would expect... Maggie Gylenhaal as Richard's sister Valerie (concierge at the Biltmore) is pulled in unwillingly only after she forces a 'truth session' involving Richard's cheating on their inheritance in front of their brother Michael (Jonathan Tucker), the original forger of the bill Ochoa (Zitto Kazaan), the hit who buys the bill Hannigan (Peter Muller), and all of the apparent bit people in the scheme are superb.

Throughout the story Rodrigo/Brian is portrayed as warm, loveable smalltime beginner, though always ready with a clever intervention, and Richard is the know-it-all conflicted 'boss'. How this relationship mutates is just plain fine writing and acting and the ending of the film is a terrific surprise even to those who know NUEVE REINAS well! Reilly and Luna are perfect choices for these multifaceted roles. Highly Recommended! Grady Harp, April 05

There's a really unusual feel to this film, with gritty cinematography that seems to reside somewhere between motion picture and documentary styles. Early on, it doesn't even feel like a movie, as it had me wondering why this film didn't have any musical score to speak of. Given time, though, Criminal really took off - and I must say the rather hip musical score that does indeed emerge really helps carry the mood and feel. I've never heard of Nueva Reinas (Nine Queens), the 2000 Argentinean original upon which the film is based, but Criminal does have something of a foreign feel to it and scores major points with its complicated con man deluxe storyline.

What begins as a day in the life of professional con man Richard Gaddis (played ably by John C. Reilly) turns into "the big sting" with lots of surprises along the way. You can't really relax, as new elements consistently pop up to interrupt the flow and keep you on your toes. Gaddis spots a kid hustling waitresses at a local casino and takes it upon himself to make the kid, Rodrigo (Diego Luna), his new partner. Gaddis "Angloes up" his name to Bryan, and the two basically walk all over town pulling two-bit cons orchestrated by the older mentor. Then, Gaddis walks into a potentially killer score when a former associate pops up with an extremely rare Treasury bill (which is intricately made but completely counterfeit) and asks Gaddis to make the sell to a filthy rich collector who, as it turns out, has to leave the country by the next morning (which means there won't be much time for intricate analysis of the note). A lot of roadblocks emerge on the road to this easy score, not the least of which is Gaddis' estranged sister Valerie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who becomes an intricate part of the deal. Gaddis has literally everything riding on this "transaction," and it ends up being one roller coaster of a ride. There's a big twist at the end, and I really can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's a good thing until you stand back and ask a few pointed questions about the whole story, but it's certainly entertaining as it happens.

A story like this won't fly without talented actors who can sell it, and the cast of Criminal is really excellent. Luna looks uncomfortably like Cha-chi from Happy Days from certain angles, but don't let that bother you. Just sit back and go with the flow, resisting the urge to overanalyze everything as it happens, and you will almost certainly come away feeling you got your money's worth from this refreshingly different film.

I was entirely impressed with the 2002 Argentinian movie "Nueve Reinas" ("Nine Queens") on which CRIMINAL was based. In fact, the foreign film was so expertly written and paced, I was mostly curious to see what sort of a rip-off hatchet job the American version would look like. (What's up with that brain-dead title?)

More fool me. The cast (primarily John C. Reilly, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Diego Luna) work their parts well, and the plot is still pretty drum-tight. And while downtown LA may lack the texture of Buenos Aires, it yields its own interesting visuals. If you like a tidy little caper film with some nice twists, give this CRIMINAL a spin. Once you get to the end, you'll be tempted to back up and watch how pieces of the puzzle fit together.

SIDELIGHT: Listening to the soundtrack and watching the film's rhythms, I was reminded of Steven Soderbergh's underrated film, OUT OF SIGHT. More genius me. Subsequent research shows that Soderbergh assistant director Gregory Jacobs was at CRIMINAL's helm, Soderbergh himself co-wrote the screenplay under a pseudonym, and George Clooney (star of OUT OF SIGHT) is an executive producer. Yayness.

I haven't had the chance to see the movie yet but in response to the other review, it was not originally made my Hollywood. 'Criminal' is a remake of the Argentinian film 'Nine Queens'. If you want to see one of the best suspense/comedies of all time, i recommend 'Nine Queens'. It's in the vein of Usual Suspects, The Sting, and other films of that type. But better.

I bought this DVD because I really like John C. Reilly and Maggie Gyllenhall. I was not familiar with the Argentinian original, so I had no expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the slick scams and plot twists, and was blown away at the end. The R-rating is for language and a few adult situations, but there is little or no graphic violence, and sexual situations are implied. I thought it was fast-paced and a lot of fun - pure entertainment.

A very nice film, devoted mainly to two central characters: Richard Gaddis (played by John C. Reilly) and Rodrigo (played by Diego Luna). The film traces a 24-hour period in which the two characters first meet, and subsequently have an opportunity to form partnership. Filmed on a shoestring budget, the movie had only limited released; however, I highly recommend viewing it on rental.

Richard is a con-man in every sense of the word, he's not to be trusted; even his past partners have run the risk of being cheated by him. Rodrigo is a petty thief, and works the small con. Their paths converge when Rodrigo is caught trying to cheat waitresses out of change in a local casino in which Richard is also at. Richard, posing as a local police officer, steps in and takes Rodrigo under custody. Once outside the casino, Richard convinces Rodrigo into working with him.

After a series of short cons, in an attempt to build trust and confidence in one another; Richard is contacted by his sister Valerie (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) in regards to one of Richard's previous partners making contact with her (Valerie) at her job as concierge at the Biltmore Hotel. As it turns out, Richard and Rodrigo are placed into a situation with an opportunity to score the big con. It seems that Richard's former partner, Ochoa, was in the middle of a six-figured con when an impending heart attack struck him incapable of completing the transaction; he is no longer able to complete the deal. Furthermore, Ochoa's "pigeon" departs the U.S. in the next 24-hours due to his Visa expiration; therefore, Ochoa must rely on Richard to finish the con.

What happens next are a sequence of events of "How not to orchestrate the big con", which includes losing the counterfeit item being used for the setup. Richard and Rodrigo are forced to rely on one another whole-heartedly in order to accomplish the final swindle, which included liquidating both their total assets to front the cash required for a duplicate counterfeit item.

The film places you into mind to the con-man, and all the antics required to accomplish the long con. There are no high speed chases, or large scale pyrotechnic involved in this film; just plenty of dialogue and no stop conniving. With the added bonus of a plot twist ending, the film is quite entertaining.

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The less you know in advance, the more you'll enjoy this slick, caper flick.

Seasoned, cocky grifter John C. Reilly hooks up with kid con artist Diego Luna to set up a swindle using, rare, antique but counterfeit money. Numerous L.A. locations are well used, the plot moves fast, and the dialogue is revealing and real.

"Criminal" is a remake of the Argentinean "Nine Queens" (2002) by Fabian Bielinsky.

In the classic Hollywood tradition of "La Femme Nikita" ("Point of No Return") and "Spoorloos" ("The Vanishing")... An amazing foreign film, in this case "Nueve Reinas" from Argentina, suffers through the "creative process" inside the American studio to emerge as a pale imitation of the original - witness "Criminal".

Claims that "Bielinsky co-wrote this screenplay with director Gregory Jacobs" are exaggerations at best. Bielinsky both wrote and directed the original; Jacobs' contributions to the re-make involve setting changes, adding scenes which don't actually add to the story, and the "dumbing down" of the plot.

"Brilliant", "Entertaining", "Diverting" should be applied to the original, as the only thing this re-make offers is an American accent, a confusing ending that reflects attempts to make the complexity of the story into a simpler story, and performances which are lacklustre by comparison.

Do yourself a favor - rent the original.

Two con-men, Richard (John C. Reilly) and the younger, less hardened Ricardo (Diego Luna), meet at a casino and decide to be partners for the day. A series of events leads to them working together to sell a forged copy of a very rare currency note to a collector, but things become complicated when it turns out that the collector is staying at the same hotel where Richard's sister (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who disapproves of her brother's actions, works.

"Criminal" is a more-or-less shot for shot remake of the Argentine movie "Nine Queens", but without a lot of the detail of the original. I just finished watching both of these movies, back-to-back. In my recent review of "Nine Queens", I said that it was essentially a rip-off of "The Sting", and in some ways it is, but after seeing this same story twice in a row, I am starting to develop more of an appreciation for it. Although it definitely pays homage to "The Sting", "Nine Queens"/ "Criminal" still has a lot to say in its own right and is well worth seeing (especially if you like films like "The Sting").

Comparing the two films, "Nine Queens" comes out on top in almost every respect. With the exception of John C. Reilly, whom I preferred to his Argentine counterpart, I thought every other actor in "Nine Queens" was superior to his or her "Criminal" equivalent. Also, as I said before, "Nine Queens" is more detailed than "Criminal". "Nine Queens" is about half an hour longer than "Criminal". The time difference between the two films is mostly due to the fact that many scenes in "Criminal" have had a minute or two cut from them, but those few minutes here and there are what gave "Nine Queens" its character.

As with many other English language remakes of foreign language movies, there is no real reason why this film need exist. It doesn't add anything to "Nine Queens". It is interesting to watch both of these films together, just to compare and contrast them, but if you have to choose between the two of them, I'd watch "Nine Queens" instead.

Criminal is the (lamely titled) story of two small-time grifters who get a chance at a big score with a counterfeit treasury note and an eccentric collector. This sleeper of a film features a first-rate cast of actors (not superstars, not blockbuster stars, just hardworking actors). John C. Reilly plays the older, wisened half of a criminal buddy pair with the fresh-faced Diego Luna. Maggie Gyllenhall portrays a bossy, meddling older sister to Reilly's character. The film focuses both on the counterfeit bill scam and on the interpersonal relations between the main characters. You can probably guess that there are a healthy number of plot twists thrown into the mix.

This is a light, agile film with a rich cast of characters. Don't go in expecting a mind-blowing thriller; rather, enjoy the nuances of the characters and the setting. Anyone who enjoys this flick should pick up the Spanish film The Perfect Crime (El Crimen Perfecto), which was just released on DVD in the US.