Fabian Bielinsky's directorial debut is an electrifying crime thriller that deserves to join the ranks as a classic of the genre--along with David Mamet's HOUSE OF GAMES and Bryan Singer's THE USUAL SUSPECTS. Set in a Buenos Aires that is on the verge of economic collapse, the film tells the story of Juan (Gaston Pauls), a con artist with a conscience. Trying to round up enough money to pay off his incarcerated father's debts, Juan stumbles into fellow swindler Marcos (Ricardo Darin), a far more confident, experienced criminal. When Marcos offers Juan the chance to team up for the day, his initial apprehension succumbs to the pressure of helping his father, and he agrees to the partnership. After a few minor cons, the pair unknowingly stumbles into a potentially lucrative score involving a wealthy businessman, Gandolfo, and a forged set of rare stamps, The Nine Queens. As new characters are introduced and the plot becomes more convoluted, it becomes unclear--to the audience, as well as Juan and Marcos--just who is conning whom. Bielinsky's debut feature is a magnetic, ingenious puzzle that features flawless performances by Darin and Pauls, in addition to the stellar supporting cast.

Original Production Year: 2000.
Theatrical Release: APRIL 19, 2002 (NY/LA)

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Letterbox - 1.85
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - Spanish
Additional Release Material:
Trailers
Featurette: Making Of
Interactive Features:
Scene Selection
Interactive Menus

Gaston Pauls: Actor, FELICIDADES (2001)
Ricardo Darin: Actor, NINE QUEENS (2002)
Leticia Bredice: Actress, BURNT MONEY (2001)
Tomas Fonzi: Actor, NINE QUEENS (2002)
Graciela Tenembaun: Actor, NINE QUEENS (2002)

Fabian Bielinsky: Director, NINE QUEENS (2002)

Pablo Bossi: Producer, NINE QUEENS (2002)

Fabian Bielinsky: Director, NINE QUEENS (2002)

Cesar Lerner: Composer, WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH (1999)

"...Ingenious....Bielinsky delights in pulling the carpet from under the audience's feet..."
"...It's propulsive enough to take you for a ride, but with a political undercut to give it ballast..."
"...The movie combines Hitchcock's winking tongue-in-cheek vision of a paranoid universe where everyone may be part of an elaborate conspiracy with Mr. Mamet's obsession with the finer points of gamesmanship and con artistry..."
"...Ricardo Darin gives a seductively low-key performance....NINE QUEENS leaves you feeling tense and terrific..."
"...A deliciously funny and fiendishly clever con-man comedy that begins on a note of ingenuity that it then sustains with the tension of a high-wire act..."
"...Splendid....NINE QUEENS is a caper movie with an implicit, despairing vision of Argentina, yet its ambience of authority works on pure edge-of-the-moment dramatic terms as well..."
"...As one layer after another reveals a different reality beneath, we watch in bemused admiration..."