"I have been interested in the idea of a street swindler my whole life. The idea of delinquents that, instead of using weapons, use their ingenuity and subtle psychological mechanisms to get over on their victims..." - Fabian Bielinsky

"Nine Queens." No, this isn't a film about a gay baseball team!

First and foremost, the article "The" would be a wise move by Sony Pictures Classics. "The Nine Queens" seems a more apt title and also one that is a little less misleading. To tell you why the film is called "Nine Queens" almost gives too much away. It is half-way into the film before this term even appears. But the titular royal phrase refers to an object rather than nine separate entities, okay?

This is a Argentinian film which could have easily come from the mind of David Mamet. In fact, the film, a con-artist story, is much more intense and popping that Mamet's latest, "Heist." I might even go so far as to say that this is the best "con" film since Mamet's "The Spanish Prisoner."

Writer/director Fabian Bielinsky crafts a wonderful first feature that has astute editing, consummate acting, perfect storytelling and marvelous twists and turns. Plus it has underlying elements that continually fuel the action and themes. The script is the key here and it is a force to be reckoned with. This film spins out lines like anglers at a fly fishing tournament. Its non-stop pace and riveting story keep you glued to the film. And rather than contrived and forced moments where suspension of disbelief is almost impossible, this film plays out like Bobby Fisher in Russia with each move calculated, considered, and creating a new set of plot points twisting into a nexus of evolving patterns of strategy.

The acting in the film is truly top-notch. Ricardo Darin's assured and pedantic Marcos makes a stunning juxtaposition to Gaston Pauls' wide-eyed yet street-smart Juan. These two bristle with chemistry and their acting, riffing off of scripted characters of great depth, make for engrossing storytelling. Meanwhile, Letitcia Bredice's Valeria sweeps a staid and icy chill over the red hot propulsion of Darin and Marco's motors creating both conflict and gravity to the story. Equally adept are the myriad secondary characters that roll through the film. Of these, Tomas Fonzi, Ignasi Abadal and Elsa Berenguer are most notable, but everyone on screen here does good work.

Bielinsky's storytelling may get bogged down a bit in the third act, with cheap sounding mood music suddenly wafting into a film that has been quite calculating and arid sonicly up until this point, but he has created so much propulsion by this time, it would be like stopping a freight train to truly derail the film. The ending may be a bit more typical than one would like, but it can be forgiven as the ride is incredible.

There are awesome moments in the film but none made me more gleeful than a scene near the end where Juan offers a young beggar a choice between money or a toy. In this one solid and pointed moment, the whole theme and plot of the film comes to a head as the choice becomes an integral moment. Here we question the choices of the characters as well as our own choices and we see just how fucked-up the world becomes when commerce and con are injected into the formula. There is a deep sense of loss of innocence in this scene that makes all that has come before more profound and more important. I really wish the film had ended here. The epilogue, after this moment, only serves to placate those mainstream film-goers who insist on traditional endings.

Drenched in testosterone and Hispanic masculinity, "Nine Queens" laterals its money hunger and con artist mentality into an undercurrent of sexual play that lurks so deep below the surface it won't be noticed by most film-goers. But the con games and major "con" that goes on here suggests that greed is indeed similar to sexual lust. It is implied in the pace of the film and the power plays that oscillate throughout the film. The most homosexual of these moments comes when Marcos asks Juan if he would sleep with a man and the younger man answers no; a somewhat homophobic joke is played out emulating the old joke about a woman sleeping with a man for money. In the heterosexual version, the comment is made that what kind of girl the female is has already been determined, now price is the only question. In this homosexual play on the joke, the suggestion is made that every man will sleep with another for a large enough amount of money. "We've got enough faggots. What we need is more investors," the punch line says. This joke also plays into the Hispanic machismo angle that continually propels the film as well as the film's economic subtext.

Furthermore, a real look at the culture of Argentina can be gleaned from watching this film. Having seen this film and "Burnt Money" recently, both from Argentina, I began to wonder if many natives who saw this film felt it was yet another portrayal of Hispanics as criminals, confidence artists, and corrupt officials. The overwhelming popularity of the film in its home country proves that these "stereotypes," at least in this film, are more reflective of current culture than mere cliches. Bielinsky's, however, is a truly gifted writer and filmmaker and therefore much credit must be given to him for his ability to reflect culture while not creating one-dimensional archetypes. Bielinsky does cultural and social commentary here and yet creates entertainment as well. To quote the director, on the film's audience, "they have thanked me for being able to enjoy themselves while looking at a mirror in which they see themselves reflected."

"Nine Queens" is an awesome film. It's complex, action oriented, smart and snappy. It is no surprise that Argentinians gave the film practically every major film award the country has to offer. Many young American filmmakers would be wise to see it. And learn.

Note:

Many of the street scenes were shot with hidden cameras.

Report Card Script: A Acting: A+ Cinematography\Lighting: A+ Special Effects\Make Up: A+ Music: B- Final Grade: A

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