Nine Queens (2000) Nueve reinas (original title)

Director:

Fabián Bielinsky

Writer:

Fabián Bielinsky (written by)

Release Date:

31 August 2000 (Argentina)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps (the "nine queens").

Plot Keywords:

Stamp | Con Artist | Partner | Scam | Hotel

Awards:

21 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Ricardo Darín	...	Marcos
Gastón Pauls	...	Juan
Leticia Brédice	...	Valeria
María Mercedes Villagra	...	Convenience Store Employee 2
Gabriel Correa	...	Convenience Store Manager
Pochi Ducasse	...	Aunt
Luis Armesto	...	Bar Waiter
Ernesto Arias	...	Bar Manager
Amancay Espíndola	...	Woman in Elevator
Isaac Fajm	...	Vendor
Jorge Noya	...	Aníbal
Graciela Tenenbaum	...	Convenience Store Employee
Oscar Nuñez	...	Sandler
Ignasi Abadal	...	Vidal Gandolfo
Carlos Lanari	...	Man on Cell Phone
Roberto Rey	...	Texano
Tomás Fonzi	...	Federico
Celia Juárez	...	Mrs. Sandler
Alejandro Awada	...	Washington
Antonio Ugo	...	D' Agostino
Leo Dyzen	...	Stamp Expert
Elsa Berenguer	...	Berta
Carlos Falcone	...	Berta's Lover
Ricardo Díaz Mourelle	...	Ramiro
Ulises Celestino	...	Botones
Norberto Arcusín	...	Official
Gabriel Molinelli	...	Cárdenas
Emanuel Mercado	...	Boy
Claudio Rissi	...	Spanish Voice
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rolly Serrano	...	Castrito (uncredited)

Directed by
Fabián Bielinsky		(as Fabian Bielinsky)

Writing credits
Fabián Bielinsky		(written by) (as Fabian Bielinsky)

Produced by
Pablo Bossi	....	producer

Original Music by
César Lerner		(as Cesar Lerner)

Cinematography by
Marcelo Camorino		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sergio Zottola

Casting by
Martín Carranza
Veronica Pascual

Production Design by
Daniela Passalaqua

Art Direction by
Marcelo Salvioli

Costume Design by
Mónica Toschi

Makeup Department
Lucila Robirosa	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Cecilia Bossi	....	production manager
Pedro D'Angelo	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Martin Hodara	....	assistant director
Damián Leibovich	....	dga trainee (as Damián Adalberto Leibovich)
Leandro Manoni	....	trainee assistant director
Veronica Pascual	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Alejandro Cuevas	....	property master
María del Carmen Denti	....	trainee art assistant
Horácio Mondello	....	props
Pablo Solinas	....	trainee art assistant

Sound Department
Mario Calabrese	....	sound mixer
Vicente D'Elia	....	boom operator (as Vicente Tano D'Elia)
Maximiliano Gorriti	....	sound mixer (as Maxi Gorriti)
Maximo Pochiero	....	second boom operator
Eduardo Prus	....	sound editor
Guillermo Rodríguez	....	sound
Luciano Specos	....	sound
Osvaldo Vacca	....	head sound
Oscar Velzi	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Rubén Buelta	....	special effects
Federico Cueva	....	special effects coordinator
Rubén Santeiro	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Carlos Carreño	....	Inferno artist
Mariano Molina	....	Inferno artist

Stunts
Federico Cueva	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Aixa Arévalo	....	video assist operator (as Aixa Verónica Arévalo)
Fernando Blanc	....	second assistant camera
Marcelo Hans Bonato	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Marcelo Hans Bonatto)
Silvio Bonda	....	second electrician (as Silvio Bonda Seco)
Marcelo Camorino	....	camera operator
Segundo Cerrato	....	first assistant camera: "c" camera
Walter Chacón	....	still photographer
Néstor Danger Paradiso	....	assistant grip
Lucas Guardia	....	trainee assistant camera
Leandro Irurzun	....	camera runner: "c" camera
Mariano Levy	....	gaffer
Sebastián Martínez Piñeiro	....	third electrician
Matías Mesa	....	Steadicam operator
Gabriel Quevedo	....	assistant Steadicam operator
Diana Quiroga	....	first assistant camera
Emilio Razzetto	....	generator operator
Rodolfo Resch Rambo	....	first electrician
Edgardo Sardi	....	camera operator: quad cam
Jorge Torres	....	grip
Jorgelina Vera	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Fernando Viñuela	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Lucas Guidalevich	....	film recorder operator: Cineon (uncredited)
Victor Vasini	....	film recorder operator: Cineon (uncredited)

Casting Department
Pablo Pérez Giménez	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Valeria Robles	....	wardrobe assistant
Manuela Roth	....	trainee wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Beto Acevedo	....	color timer
Alex Kakowicz	....	trainee negative cutter
Walter Ríos	....	color timer
Marta Selvi	....	negative cutter
Daniel Zottola	....	assistant editor (as Daniel Zóttola)
Sebastián Zóttola	....	second assistant editor
Fernanda Gliatta	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Miguel Rur	....	music assistant

Transportation Department
Juan José Calsina	....	transportation
Hernán Cipriani	....	driver: props truck
Julio D'Amico	....	driver: cast truck
Jorge Gauna	....	driver: motor home
Fabián Martínez	....	driver
Emilio Razzetto	....	transportation
Carlos Rojas	....	transportation
José Francisco Varamo	....	driver

Other crew
Silvio Benítez	....	making-of
Alejandro Boems Eguia	....	transfer
Martín Carranza	....	continuity
Leonardo Centeno	....	caterer
Marcelo Cheskis	....	administration staff
Mariano Cukar	....	location manager
María Claudia Diego	....	caterer
María Emilia Ferrari	....	administration staff
Agustín Ferrero	....	logistic coordinator
Raquel Flotta	....	press attache
Sandra Franco	....	administration staff
Fabián Gayoso	....	making-of
Claudio González	....	title designer
Mauro Groisman	....	production assistant
Alejandro Lanezan	....	production assistant
Victoria Nogueras	....	administration staff
Norberto Pelliccioni	....	general administrator
Dario Perticone	....	marketing
Dario Perticone	....	operative accountant
Leonardo Polesel	....	administration staff
Rodrigo Rocco	....	administration staff
Mercedes Ruboni	....	administration staff
Ariel Saúl	....	production accountant
Ignacio Spulher	....	transfer
Claudio Tarrabe	....	title designer
Flábio Trotta	....	administration staff
Loreley Unamuno	....	production trainee
Roxana Álvarez	....	production secretary

Thanks
Silvina Chaine	....	thanks
Gabriel Fainzot	....	thanks
Hugo Fainzot	....	thanks
Alicia Ianelli	....	thanks
Sergio Lamensa	....	thanks
Sol Lopatin	....	thanks
Lito Muravchik	....	thanks
Jorge Rovera	....	thanks
Fernanda Álvarez	....	thanks

Production Companies

• FX Sound
• Industrias Audiovisuales Argentinas S.A.
• J.Z. & Asociados
• Kodak Argentina S.A.
• Naya Films S.A.
• Patagonik Film Group

Distributors

• Alta Classics S.L. Unipersonal (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Casa Nova Films (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Central Partnership (2002) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Filmauro Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2002) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Niche Pictures (2002) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• Urban Films (2000) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2011) (Argentina) (DVD) (Colección Cine Industria Nacional)
• Argentina Video Home (2012) (Argentina) (DVD) (as part of the pack 'Colección Cine Nacional') (tin packaging)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2003) (Finland) (VHS)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2003) (Norway) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2002) (USA) (subtitled)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Soyuz Video (Russia) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Video (200?) (Netherlands) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Alesina & Asociados  legal services
• Bacigaluppihnos  communications
• Best Choice  action vehicles
• Estudio El Pie  sound recording studio
• FX Stunts  stunts
• La Casa Post Sound  voice casting

Also Known As:

"Nueve reinas" - Argentina (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

Argentina

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Brazil:14 | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Denmark:7 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hungary:14 | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Poland:15 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-11 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Sweden:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Hotel Hilton, Puerto Madero, Capital Federal, Argentina

Company:

FX Sound

Trivia:

The song Juan refers to several times during the film is Rita Pavone's 1976 hit "Il Ballo del Mattone" from the LP "Come te non c'è nessuno", written by Eduardo Verde and Bruno Canfora. As for the film in which the song is supposed to be in, no reference is found but, by correlating dates it could only be "Due sul pianerottolo (1975)"

Quotes:

Marcos:Can't you see the way she swings her ass? There are no saints.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Vivo en Argentina: Tomás Fonzi" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Il Ballo del Mattone

Fantastic Film! Don't be afraid of the subtitles!

I know some people out there who don't like to watch movies with subtitles. It either makes them feel that they are missing out on the essence of the film because they do not understand the language being spoken, or they simply don't want to be forced to read in order understand what's going on. For those who share that opinion, it's quite a shame because this is one fantastic film that you will be missing.

Being the son of an Argentine-born parent, I more or less understand a lot of the Spanish spoken by the characters in this film, though I am in no way fluent. As you watch this film though, you almost forget that the subtitles are there. You can miss a few lines of dialog and still have a good grasp of exactly what's going on. This is due mainly to the two starring actors in the film who were absolutely incredible. First, Ricardo Darin, is nothing short of brilliant. He's a well-known actor in Argentina and has such an incredibly natural on-screen presence that you can't help but be captivated by his performance. He plays the role of a professional con-man to perfection, combining his dramatic and comedic skills to form an equally villainous as well as sympathetic character. Secondly, his counterpart Gaston Pauls is equally brilliant as Darin's baby-faced accomplice in what is to be a "one in a million" opportunity to swindle a wealthy businessman out of a small fortune.

I've seen the American version "Criminal" - 2004, which is also good, but does not really do justice to the original. Nine Queens is a brilliant piece of international film-making that will not disappoint any fan of the genre. As mentioned by a reviewer, there is absolutely zero "down time" in this film. The dialog is crisp, the characters are very well cast and there is no time wasted with any unnecessary filler or elongated scenes. Every word and every scene builds a bridge to the next and culminates with a surprising and satisfying ending that you definitely will not be expecting. Please, don't let the language barrier prevent you from seeing this film. It's very easy to follow and well worth the small effort required. 10/10.