Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas - subtitles)

The trickster archetype is described in Voglers book, The Writers Journey as a characteristic that embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change. Using the lighter definition, a confidence (con) game can be mischievous, but it can also bring devastating change to the finances of the mark.

This Argentinean film, on the surface, is the story of two con men, Juan and Marcos and the cons they execute. There is an underlying, more interesting plot, but unfortunately, it is only evident in the last few minutes of the film. I got bored with the ongoing tangle of minor cons that dominated more than half the story. I concluded that the story suffered from over emphasis of the con process. It was all tricks and nothing else. I needed some motivating problem that caused the protagonist(s) increasing anxiety, stress and tension. Just executing con after con didnt do it for me.

Also half way through the story, I realized that all was not what it seemed and I suspected the outcome. If I could sense this, then the mark would also have sensed it, so this fact alone destroyed the storys credibility. Having seen the conclusion, I was also able to review the constructs during the tale and some of them seemed improbable if not impossible to plan in advance in real life. However, this is fiction and we must give the screenwriter some license to entertain. Reality never stopped Shakespeare.

All of this is unfortunate, because the acting was quite good, the camera work was professional and effective and the basic underlying story that we dont know is in progress has a good storyline. I wondered afterward whether I missed some nuances because of my inability with the language and the translation to English subtitles.

Ricardo Darin plays Marcos. His performing career spans 35 years. Gaston Pauls plays Juan. He is the younger of the two, having only ten years in TV and Film. Both actors were born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Reviewed July 31, 2003