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Nine Queens

Starring: Gaston Pauls, Ricardo Darin
Director: Fabian Beilinsky
Genre: Drama
Year: 2002
Rating: 4 / 5

Reviewed by Guest Scribe Legend

Granted, foreign films are not for everyone. First, there is the hurdle of subtitles, and then there are cultural references often lost on American audiences. But perhaps the biggest obstacle is simply that foreign films cater to different sensibilities than our own and are simply not palatable. All of that gets thrown out the window with Nine Queens. This is a film anyone can enjoy, which could be happening anywhere. It happens to be set in Buenos Aires.

The story is uncluttered and straightforward. Two con-men, Juan and Marcos, meet and decide to join forces for one day, figuring it’s easier to work the streets as a pair than alone. Juan, with a helping of naïveté for one in his profession, is quickly taken under the wing of the slightly older – more seasoned – and amoral Marcos. After some minor gigs, they appear to have fallen into a goldmine when a contact of Marcos’s provides them with an impeccable forgery to sell – that of the Nine Queens, a rare set of stamps worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Of course, this is not as simple as just selling the stamps and getting cash. Juan and Marcos have to go through all sorts of high jinks and encounter one obstacle after another in order to pull the scam. The most entertaining part of the movie, perhaps, is its surprise ending, which may require heavy use of the rewind button, if not a second viewing entirely.

Despite the presence on Gaston Pauls (as Juan) and Ricardo Darin (as Marcos) in practically every moment of Nine Queens, it moves at a speedy rate and never drags in pace. Definitely a fun watch without dragging in any material too deep or heavy.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for language.
Running Time: 114 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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