Bielinsky's script is slick and fiendishly clever, with seemingly a twist a minute.
Nine Queens (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:91
Fresh:84
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: Deliciously twist-filled, Nine Queens is a clever and satisfying crime caper.
Theatrical Release:Apr 19, 2002 Limited
Box Office: $1,078,919
Synopsis:
"Nine Queens" is the story of two small-time swindlers, Juan (Gastón Pauls) and Marcos (Ricardo Darin), who team up after meeting in a convenience store and become involved in a half million dollar...
"Nine Queens" is the story of two small-time swindlers, Juan (Gastón Pauls) and Marcos (Ricardo Darin), who team up after meeting in a convenience store and become involved in a half million dollar deal.
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 much higher stakes game in mind, and invites Juan to be his partner in crime.
Juan is skeptical at first, but agrees to work with Marcos after he impresses him with a few sophisticated cons. A once-in-a-lifetime scheme then seemingly falls in their laps -- an old time con-man enlists Juan and Marcos 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' beautiful sister Valeria (Leticia Bredice), their innocent younger brother Federico (Tomás Fonzi) who idolizes Marcos, and a slew of thieves, conmen, and pickpockets.
As the deceptions and duplicity mount, it becomes more and more difficult to figure out who is conning whom, and we begin to ask ourselves, "Who isn't a thief?" -- © Sony Picture Classics
Starring: Gaston Pauls, Ricardo Darin, Leticia Bredice, Tomas Fonzi
Starring: Gaston Pauls, Ricardo Darin, Leticia Bredice, Tomas Fonzi, Graciela Tenembaun
Director: Fabian Bielinsky
Director: Fabian Bielinsky
Screenwriter: Fabian Bielinsky
Producer: Pablo Bossi
Composer: Cesar Lerner
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
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Reviews for Nine Queens
The film seethes with a sense of something more sinister at work around us, building to the point that you're not sure who's getting played and who isn't.
So the plot points don't exactly tie up in writer-director Fabian Bielinsky's award-winning import. Still, anyone who loved Charade, The Sting or House of Games is bound to fall for this fast-paced Argentine pic.
While Bielinsky doesn't bring anything new to the table, he has a smartly engineered scheme and a good poker face, and he's mastered the essential art of misdirection.
Delicious deviousness, a tale of con men that successfully cons the audience.
I was amused and entertained by the unfolding of Bielinsky's cleverly constructed scenario, and greatly impressed by the skill of the actors involved in the enterprise.
For those of you, like me, who love who's-scamming-whom stories, Nine Queens is thoroughly satisfying.
Reminiscent of David Mamet's elaborate screen bluffs -- only livelier, more playful.
At its sliming, sidewinding best, Nine Queens rivals those modern beauties about sneak-cheats, House of Games, The Swindle and The Grifters.
A people pleaser that makes use of dozens of great movie tricks and manages to sprinkle great lines throughout.
This is a fun and lively movie, the first of two heralding the arrival of the suave, seductive and slightly forlorn actor Darin to American audiences.
Mr. Bielinsky has fashioned a wicked parable of the financial chaos in contemporary Argentina.
A story full of surprises, defined by the use of interesting camera utilization and visual motifs.
An engaging criminal romp that will have viewers guessing just who's being conned right up to the finale.
A well-acted thriller with perhaps a few too many twists, but satisfyingly clever in the long run.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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