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NINE QUEENS - REVIEW

NUEVE REINAS ( NINE QUEENS)

(Spanish,2000)

Director : Fabian Bielinsky

Cast : Gaston Pauls, Ricardo Darin

Another con movie , after "The Sting", which was reviewed earlier. Though this one is nowhere close to "The Sting" , it is definitely an interesting movie.

Made in Argentina , this is set in Buenos Aires. The story revolves around the lives of two con-men , Juan ( Gaston Pauls) and Marcos ( Ricardo Darin) . They happen to bump into each other in a departmental store , when Juan attempts to pull a trick on the shop clerk.

Marcos then tells Juan that he just wants him to be his accomplice for a day. Juan is initially skeptic about this , but gives in. Marcos and Juan set off to con their unsuspecting victims. We then realize that Juan needs a lot of money to save his father form jail.

The movie depicts what happens , when these two brilliant con-artists come together , and attempt to pull of a grand con , in trying to sell a precious and rare set of stamps called "Nueve Reinas /Nine Queens" , to a rich collector, Vidal Gandolfo.

The film is very well shot , and is convincing at the same time. The con scenes depicted in the movie are very believable , thanks to some fine acting by the cast , and the situations themselves.


The characterization is another refreshing aspect of this film. Juan comes across as a nervous person , who is constantly thinking about the situations in which he lands up. Marcos on the other hand , is a very confident and daring character. In some scenes , Marcos is portrayed as the father figure to Juan , constantly teaching him the finer aspects of the trade. Acting by the cast members is nothing great , but can be definitely termed as good.

Juan and Marcos have to pass through many hurdles , in selling the precious Nine Queens stamps to Gandolfo , and we get to meet quite a few interesting characters . Marcos's sister Valeria , appears to be an irritable character in the movie , but has a very important albeit small sequence which is integral to the plot.

You will definitely enjoy the con sequences , thanks to the natural film making style , without exaggerating things. The coffee shop con scene is so simple , but brilliantly shot , like all other similar sequences in the movie.

The film scores very high on the unpredictability factor. You have no idea what the characters have in store for you. The numerous twists and turns will keep you glued to it , as they show up in the most unexpected situations.

Although backed by an interesting script and fine performances , this film does not really come across as an excellent one , thanks to the screenplay. The movie started off rather slowly , but turned out to be pacy for quite sometime. Sadly, it just lost a little steam somewhere down the line. I found it boring sometimes , something which is not really expected in con movies. However it gathers momentum towards the end , and culminates in a simple , but stunning climax.

I will go with a well deserved 3 out of 5 , for this movie which could have been so much better , if more attention had been paid to the screenplay.

Verdict : Pretty good. 3 / 5