30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Too much praise for a movie that isn't overly well-known?, February 26, 2005
"Nine Queens", or "Nueve Reinas" in its original Spanish title, is one of the more entertaining Argentinian movies I've watched so far. The dialogue is witty, the action doesn't stop, and the acting is flawless. Too much praise for a movie that isn't overly well-known?. Well, even good things are not widely recognized to be so sometimes, and this is one of those occasions.
The theme of the movie is not overly original: two conmen trying to pull off a scam that involves a set of stamps (the "Nine Queens"), and a lot of money. But what makes this movie interesting is how that idea is developed, managing to surprise the spectator until the very end. The director (Fabián Bielinsky) also wrote the script, that won a National Prize in Argentina.
Scam after scam, you will feel you are taking part of the many "adventures" of a very seasoned Marcos (Ricardo Darín) and an endearingly young and idealistic Juan (Gastón Pauls) in their quest to become rich, albeit for very different reasons. The question is, who is conning whom?.
All in all, I think you will thoroughly like this movie. The story and the acting are great, and so is the beautiful setting, the city of Buenos Aires. Watch it, and enjoy :)
Belen Alcat
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Intricate, Clever And Satisfying Con Game, July 19, 2005
This Argentine film has to be one of the great con movies...intricate, funny, difficult to see where it's going, and satisfying. Juan (Gaston Pauls), a young, naive-looking con artist, tries to play a bill-changing scam twice at a convenience store and gets caught. A smooth-looking older guy, Marcos (Ricardo Darrin), who was watching, suddenly steps forward, says he's a cop and hustles Juan out the door. But it turns out Marcos is a con artist, too; a lot more experienced, it seems, who is looking for a partner. He's willing to show Juan the ropes. When Marcos and Juan walk down a busy street, Marcos points out all the hustles. The scammers are all around them. "They're there," he says to Juan, "but you can't see them. That's what it's all about. They're there, but they aren't. So mind your briefcase, your door, your window, your car, your savings. Mind your rear. Because they're there and they'll always be." "Thieves," says Juan. "No...that's what everybody calls them. They are spitters, breakers, skin workers, blind fronts, hoisters, hooks, stalls, petermans, night raiders, mustard-chuckers, fences, operators, swindlers. I'm hungry. Let's go to my office and get a meal." And they step into a near-by bar where Marcos owes money.
Marcos has conned and cheated everyone who has ever dealt with him, including former partners, his sister and his younger brother. Now he comes across what will be the biggest con of his career. It involves the nine queens, a sheet of stamps from the Weimar Republic, defective, rare and extremely valuable. Marcos and Juan need a set of forged stamps, which they can get, and the real stamps, which they can get but only for a high price. And they can give the mark, a shrewd crook of a wealthy businessman who collects stamps and is being deported the next day, no time to thoroughly check the goods. Juan and Marcos' sister will prove instrumental in the deal.
I had to watch the movie twice. First, to really follow the intricate plot. Second, to fully appreciate that the director/writer wasn't hiding any cards. If you know what to look for, you just might figure out the movie. Marcos' lecture to Juan about all those scammers has a point that you'll look back on with a smile. Third, to find out some things, you need to pay close attention to the little details. An off-hand remark or bit of background history later becomes important to a piece of action. Why this movie is so good is that the first time you watch it you're taken off guard by the scams within scams. But the second time, it's sheer pleasure in seeing how these scams are being set up.
The actors do a fine job. Pauls brings a combination of innocence, likeability and shrewdness to the role. Darrin can be charming, but he also makes his character a man you'd trust only if you had no alternative.
If you like puzzles you'll probably like this movie. There are cons within cons, scams and slights of hand. You might find the final con a stretch, but it's satisfying. There are no extras of any significance. The DVD transfer looks great.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even better than all the hype, March 27, 2004
By A Customer
I am always hesitant to see a movie after it receives so many rave reviews, becuase it is often dificult for such movies to meet my expectations. This film, is one of the few examples in which it actually exceeded all of the hype.
It's a con movie, in the tradition of classics like "The Sting" but it moves much quicker. It's not until the credits start rolling that the viewer gets an idea of how complete the heist was and exactly who was in charge. I saw this movie first in Europe, and was incredibly disappointed that it was not released in the US, so I could watch it again, because it is a movie that you can watch again and again and gather more clues with each viewing.
I was sad to hear that a US company bought the rights to the story. It will be difficult for them no to butcher it, because this was perfect.
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