Nine Queens (2000)

Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas, 2000)               3.5/5

Directed by Fabián Bielinsky

Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls

In this Argentine Crime film, rookie con artist Juan (Pauls) is found working a job by veteran con artist Marcos (Darín). Seeing an opportunity, he decides to take Juan under his wing. Later that day, Marcos is approached by a former partner with the con of a lifetime - but can Marcos and his new partner pull it off?

The plot is intelligent and moves at a comfortably fast pace. The writing is clever enough to be believable, but rather predictable at certain points. The premise is interesting, and is pulled off nicely, which makes for an entertaining story.

Thematically, the film is fairly simple, sticking to classic con-man themes of trickery, trust, and greed. Bielinsky does not necessarily break new ground, but manages to get his point across in an effective and entertaining way.

Visually, the cinematography plays a major role in setting the scene, both in mood and in pacing. The first scene of the film uses an interesting single-camera sweep through a convenience store, and a later shot is quite striking as the camera spins in circles around two characters. These techniques may not be innovative, but they are well executed and effectively used. The cinematography and editing of the film demonstrate a deep knowledge of pre-existing techniques and how to make proper use thereof. The exception may be that the film sometimes lacks the visual intensity to match what is happening on-screen. Close-ups are rare, not even being used when Marcos threatens to kill someone. This could be an intentional technique to suggest that the threat is idle, but it is not the only point at which what happens and what we see do not match intensities.

The performances are well done, if a little simple. The film calls for a sense of underhanded greed and emotional detachment from Darín, and he delivers quite well. Where he truly comes alive is when the score is at risk, showing convincing panic and constant calculation. Pauls also does an excellent job as the kind hearted Juan, a man who needs to make some cash but is only good at something he is morally conflicted about. A special mention goes to Tomás Fonzi who plays Federico, Marcos’ naive younger brother. Fonzi does an excellent job as the wide-eyed innocent who is perhaps too quick to believe in the goodness of his brother.

Overall, this film is entertaining, and intelligently written. Not much in the film is new or innovative, but what the film does, it does well. If you are a fan of films about con-men pulling “the big score”, this is a worthy choice.

This review was requested by Christian Turres.

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