Nine Queens (2000)

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

Director:

Fabián Bielinsky (as Fabian Bielinsky)

Writer:

Fabián Bielinsky (as Fabian Bielinsky)

Stars:

Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls, Leticia Brédice

22 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ricardo Darín	...	Marcos
Gastón Pauls	...	Juan
Leticia Brédice	...	Valeria
María Mercedes Villagra	...	Convenience Store Employee 2
Gabo Correa	...	Convenience Store Manager (as Gabriel Correa)
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

Storyline

Early one morning, Marcos observes Juan successfully pulling off a bill-changing scam on a cashier, and then getting caught as he attempts to pull the same trick on the next shift. Marcos steps in, claiming to be a policeman, and drags Juan out of the store. Once they are back on the street, Marcos reveals himself to be a fellow swindler with a game of much higher stakes in mind, and he invites Juan to be his partner in crime. A once-in-a-lifetime scheme seemingly falls into their laps - an old-time con man enlists them to sell a forged set of extremely valuable rare stamps, The Nine Queens. The tricky negotiations that ensue bring into the picture a cast of suspicious characters, including Marcos' sister Valeria, their younger brother Federico and a slew of thieves, conmen and pickpockets. As the deceptions mount, it becomes more and more difficult to figure out who is conning whom.

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Plot Keywords:

held at gunpoint | playing cards | philately | bag of money | counterfeiting | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Films trailer, interview, etc. (French, Flash) [France] Sony Pictures Classics - trailer, synopsis, etc. (Flash) [United States]

Country:

Argentina

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

31 August 2000 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Nine Queens

Filming Locations:

Hotel Hilton, Puerto Madero, Capital Federal, Argentina

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$40,724, 21 April 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,221,261, 6 October 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

FX Sound,Industrias Audiovisuales Argentinas S.A.,J.Z. & Asociados

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

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)"

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Quotes

Marcos: And you have another asset that'll make your life easier. Something money can't buy. You look like a nice guy.

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Connections

Referenced in Caiga quien caiga - CQC: Episode #16.26 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Il Ballo del Mattone
(1976)
Written by Dino Verde (as Verde, Eduardo) and Bruno Canfora (as Canfora, Bruno)
by Rita Pavone
Edited by Curci Edizioni

User Reviews

I have never seen a film as relentlessly uncompromising about the allure, power, and banality of the con game.

I have never seen a film as relentlessly uncompromising about the allure, power, and banality of the con game as I have seen in the Argentine `Nine Queens.' From the opening sequence where small-time grifter Juan pulls a $20 switch at a convenience store to the final scam that looks like `House of Cards' and `The Sting' welded onto `Hard Eight,' nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted.

More recently think of `Sexy Beast,' `The Heist,' and `The Score.' However this is David Mamet territory, where buddies keep one eye on the target and the other on the buddy.

In the current `Enron' environment, no surprise at the allegorical suggestion of this film that trust is a rare commodity these days, banks are vulnerable (consider the Argentinean economy), and lame goddess Nemesis may never catch up with some of business's most egregious con artists, from CEO's to salespeople.

The film's pace is quick, like the hands of 3-card Monte; emotional involvement either on the screen or in the audience is minimal; everyone has a moment of triumph and defeat. Even beauty has its deceptive moment when Leticia Bredice, as the sister of other con artist Ricardo Darin, struts her stuff in the hotel lobby.

`Nine Queens' won 7 awards from the Argentinean Film Critics Association. I'm betting that's not a con.