Two newly acquainted conmen attempt to pull off a big scheme, but violence, betrayals, theft and greedy accomplices keep hampering their efforts in this 25th anniversary re-release of a 2000 classic.
★★★★☆
Crime doesn’t pay, or so the popular idiom goes, a hallmark of movies featuring con artists similar to the protagonists of Fabián Bielinsky’s Nine Queens. But unlike the 2000 Argentinian film, these other works of art rarely take this idea literally, instead exploring the ways in which criminality festers guilt, mistrust, recklessness and endangerment in a maddening downward spiral. Imprisonment, murder or the death of one’s soul are all on the line, where at first the world seems aglow with possibility, with it soon becoming clear that beyond all of these doors of opportunity are countless physical and psychological pitfalls.
But for Marcos (Ricardo Darín) and Juan (Gastón Pauls), there is only one overarching dilemma in their criminal endeavours, and that’s trying to figure out how to turn a profit. With the former, an experienced con artist, recruiting the latter after he attempts to con a shopkeeper and is then found out and apprehended, the pair of unlikely allies ascend from low-level hustling to a ploy to sell a replica set of expensive stamps for an exorbitant sum of money. Soon though, they are forced to confront some harsh truths about this job, where hands must be greased and witnesses paid off, all while life throws constant curveballs at these characters to up-end their likelihood of success.
Before all of that, Juan must earn Marcos’ trust by committing low level crimes, with enjoyably light sequences where the pair hoodwink random civilians. There is a slight degree of tension to these scenes, but what’s more surprising than this faint sense of unease is how seamlessly Nine Queens operates without that feeling of dread. Marcos learns by doing, not by being instructed, but the lessons in becoming a con artist are clear. One must always be supremely confident in the false version of reality that they are attempting to portray, and a light, nimble approach goes a long way towards success. He’s not trying to earn people’s trust, he’s demanding it. The film moves with a similar nimble lightness throughout this criminal awakening.
As Nine Queens’ writer and director, Bielinsky is smart enough to understand that light, deadpan comedy fits this story and these characters so much more neatly than life-or-death stakes. In this film, acts of theft, forgery, and duplicity are so much fun to behold that you want these characters to succeed. Crime then moves from being a mild source of enjoyment to a series of constant frustrations, whether that involves men that Marcos owes money to, incredibly unlucky acts of theft or a whole host of other pitfalls.
It soon becomes clear that Marcos is always playing a character. In between his acts of con artistry is a scheme that insists he is doing just fine despite having accrued countless enemies, all of whom would be happy to see him punished for his duplicity. Juan is a naïve and conflicted newcomer to this criminal realm, experiencing misgivings over stealing from elderly women and making no attempt to mask his distrust of Marcos’ intentions. Both men know they can’t fully trust the other, yet have to will themselves into trust, just as they must wear a mask at a moment’s notice in their scheming.
But it is easy to forget that this is a rather complex film about what it means to perform — something which we all do in small ways in our daily lives — when Nine Queens’ storytelling thrills are frequent and its comedy is understated yet palpable. This isn’t a head-spinning swirl of double crosses (though some of that will transpire later), nor are there any femme fatale-style temptresses eager to steer one or more of these protagonists in different directions. Instead, these characters are left to continually confront the incredibly frustrating consequences of their actions, all while learning the most important lesson of all: life is far from logical.
Combining the escapist thrills of crime flicks with an organic representation of life’s endless possibilities is no easy task, but Nine Queens achieves this balance masterfully. Aside from laughing at this duo’s terrible luck or secretly hoping that they succeed in their grand scheme, the only thing left for viewers to ponder while watching this film is where it could possibly end up. Anything that plays too neatly into established tropes would feel contrived in a cinematic experience as organic as this one, but something too self-serious would undercut the movie’s primary interest in portraying an amusing misadventure.
Throughout its runtime, Nine Queens gradually builds on the idea of criminality’s hopelessness, never feeling didactic as it showcases the ways in which these characters exercise their freedom yet are ultimately pawns to external forces. As if to counteract this, the movie concludes with a twist ending that will either blindside viewers or have been easy to spot from a mile away. It’s certainly entertaining, but it also takes something away from the film’s identity as a deadpan comedy ruminating on life’s folly. By eagerly accepting archetypes of crime and heist movies in its final moments, Nine Queens ends with a bang, but it fails to recognise that a whimper would have been so much more interesting— and funny — to behold.
The Verdict
Nine Queens is a fresh and organic comedy that combines an unpredictable plot with reliably hilarious pitfalls for its protagonists to contend with. The film is just as adept at showcasing its characters flexing their freedom as it is in reminding viewers that ultimately they are anything but free.
Words by Cian McGrath
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