Nine Queens / Nueve Reinas (2000)

Directed by Fabian Bielinsky

Starred Ricardo Darin, Gaston Pauls, Leticia Bredice, Tomas Fonzi, Leo Dyzen, Elsa Berenguer, Carlos Falcone, Ignasi Abadal, Oscar Nunez...

2000, Argentina, Spanish

Nine Queens (original title Nueve Reinas) is a first class theft movie. Hard to predict, and a very well-done heist from world cinema. The movie is so well-done that the characters during the movie voices the audience's questions and make you even more curious. Such as one of the character in the movie says in one point 'I know there is a trick being pulled off to me, but I can't just get it where and how.'. If you are a viewer hard to trick, then you watch whole the story, entire characters and dialogues by doubting all of them but still can't figure it out. And I guess, it is enough for a movie in that genre to be qualified as 'very well-done'.

All the actors but especially great Argentine actor, Ricardo Darin's acting is magnificent. We saw him in another two great movies, where he gave another memorable performances in XXY and in El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in the Eyes), and second one would win the Best Picture in Foreign Language Oscars in 2010.

The movie swept many awards away in several Latin American movie awards, as well as, a win for South Feed Favorite Film in MTV Movie Awards.

To see the whole blog, please click here.

If you look for;

a hard to predict theft movie

a first class job from World Cinema

a serious theft movie

surprises

a movie fully focused on the theft
a theft where you look for the trick together with movie characters

then this is your movie.

***

 If you liked this movie, I believe you might like also:
(available in the blog)

Inside Man (2006)
The Art of the Steal (2013)

*** 

Degree: Pure Theft Movie

Sub-Category: Grifting / Fraud
Excellence of Robbery Plan: 4/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 4/5

Quality of Robbery Action Scenes: 4/5

Actors' Performances: 5/5

Excitement Level: 4/5

Surprise Level: 5/5

Humor Level: 2/5

Originality of the Story in General: 4/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 5/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 4/5

Important Reminder: Below trailer might contain important spoilers.
International Trailer

Tráiler en español

Nicotina (2003)

Directed by Hugo Rodriguez

Starred Diego Luna, Marta Belaustegui, Rosa Maria Bianchi, Lucas Crespi, Jesus Ochoa, Norman Sotolongo, Rafael Inclan ...

2003, Mexico & Argentina & Spain, Spanish

 

Here is another fun caper movie: a Latino version of Guy Ritchie capers or Tarantino crime flicks with Mexican flavour, as the most of the viewers describes. The movie received both positive and negative critics. Negative; because audience doesn't find it very original and finds it repetitive. Positive; because audience thinks it is a nice marriage of traditional Mexican urban comedy with Tarantino & Ritchie style. The movie is often compared with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Pulp Fiction, Run Lola Run, Snatch and sometimes even with Amores Perros (Love is a Bitch).

In my personal opinion, there is nothing wrong with being heavily influenced by other movies. Except, if it is almost in a dose of copying. To me Snatch is a copy of Lock, but this one is heavily influenced by these two movies. As in interesting note, one of the memorable characters of the movie is a dog just like in Snatch. The story is international, I mean it isn't necessarily Mexican. The characters are familiar and story-line & editing isn't something we have never seen before. Told in real-time, it was a nice Mexican experience in the genre but it isn't neither their most original nor best movies like Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother, Too), Babel or Sin Nombre (Without Name), the ones received world wide appreciation.

Won many awards in Ariel Awards, known as Mexican Oscars and in Mexico MTV Movie Awards. Ah, and I shouldn't forget to mention Diego Luna. Internationally acclaimed actor's presence is the biggest plus of the movie. As many of others, Bianchi's short but memorable acting is one of my favorite.

So if you enjoyed Snatch and Lock, and are ready to try a good caper from world cinema, go and rent this Mexican, Argentine and Spanish co-production.

To see the whole blog, please click here.

 

If you look for;

lots of chasing
crazy characters
a heist with a highly humorous style
a wild, dark caper
a heist with high dose of violence
a robbery movie from world cinema
a heist told in real time

then this is your movie.

If you liked this movie, I believe you might like also:
(available in the blog)

Maverick (1994)
Firewall (2006)
Small Time Crooks (2000) 
7 cajas / 7 Boxes (2012)

*** 

Degree: Caper Movie

Sub-Category: Jewelry Robbery

Excellence of Robbery Plan: 2/5

Originality of Robbery Plan: 4/5

Quality of Robbery Action Scenes: 3/5

Actors' Performances: 4/5

Excitement Level: 4/5

Surprise Level: 3/5

Humor Level: 3/5

Originality of the Story in General: 4/5

Rating As A Robbery/Heist Movie: 3/5

Rating the Movie As A Whole: 3/5

Important Reminder: Below trailer might contain important spoilers.

International Trailer

 

Tráiler en español