Les neuf reines

I'm surprised no other has seen nine queens is actually a spin-off, or, better, a parody of "House of Games". The analysis of the differences between the two movies is a very interesting subject i submit to all imdb addicts and con-movies experts. I have to admit that, following Mamet's plot, i fell in bielinsky's trap exactly as i suspect he expected me to.

Nine Queens is a simple story about two con men. Like any other story of this type, there is confusion, different characters and of course 'Money'. The story proceeds very smoothly and as it moves, there comes a point when you wonder who is a bad guy and who is good. Simple story line and good acting make it a very interesting watch. The director has obviously focused strongly on story telling and not tried any gimmicks. I found this movie during some random surfing and it was pretty fun to watch. As long as you don't have any specific expectations in mind, you will like it. There was definitely not one point during the movie that I felt bored. I would rate it 7/10 for its simplicity and elegance.

Wonderful little movie about two small time con-men, Marcos & Juan, in Buenos Aires who come upon a scheme involving "The Nine Queens". A set of rare stamps from the long defunct German Weimar Republic that are worth a kings ransom. We then soon get to see the ups and downs by the two in the movie to first obtain them and then fence them. Marcos' sister Anibal who works as a manager in a large hotel in Buenos Aires call her brother to help an old friend of his, Sandler, who collapsed in the lobby and to take him home.

Arriving at the hotel with his friend Juan, Marcos finds old man Sandler is not only very sick but also excited about a guest staying at the hotel. Sandler also recognized Juan as the son of a person that he worked with years ago in forging money documents and stamps. Sandler tells the two con men that there's a guest in the hotel who is being deported to Venezuela within the next few days who's the multi-millionaire industrialist Vidal Gandolfo who also collect stamps for a hobby.

Sandler goes on to tell the two con-men that he can counterfeit the famous "Nine Queens" stamps and sell them to Gandolfo and they all can split the take, which runs as high as half a million dollars. The three become involve with the scheme to first fool and then fleece Gandolfo of the money he'll be willing to pay for the stamps. What they didn't realize was just how many other persons will become involve with their plan that in the end will lead to one of the most surprising endings you'll ever see in a crime caper film.

Ingenious story with a WOW ending that will keep you guessing all through the movie and won't let you down in the end. A very south, Argentina, of the border version of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" film about greed and deception and what it does to people effected by it. Fine acting and direction with a top flight story makes "The Nine Queens" one of the best of it's kind. The movie is so good that it's really hard to write too much about it in fear of spoiling it for those who haven't seen it. All I can say is stay with it until the final credits are rolling up the screen and don't let it's slow pace for the first 45 or so minutes or so make you turn it off the movie more then makes up for it in the end.

To tell you the truth, I was a little wary of this movie at the beginning, because the minor scams the characters were pulling off seemed kind of lame, but as the story progressed and the stakes got higher and higher, it became an engaging, clever, well-paced and well-acted heist thriller. It certainly has the requisite number of twists and turns to please any fan of the genre. At the end, the 114 minutes had passed like a breeze, and that's one of the sure signs of a good movie. (***)

I have watched this movie about four times in last two years. It is an excellent movie, very believable. More so than similar Hollywood movies in the recent years. Movie has good casting, excellent script, and very good acting. I highly recommend this movie even if you don't understand Spanish- I have enjoyed it every time, even with sub-titles. There is a Hollywood remake of this move in works, the script is golden. The story is particularly relevant, considering what has happened in Argentina over the last four years. I with the director would make more movies. I have searched for his first movie (Sonámbula, La) in US but have been unable to find it. I hope it airs on one of the premium channels.

9 out of 10 stars.