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This is a very well-done movie. The writing, acting and direction are all right on target with all contributing to the story without distraction. The direction is very evenly paced with no sags in the middle, but without the constant sensory overload that seems to be the Hollywood norm in this genre.

The story reminded me of the "The Sting" in subject matter and quality. The movie keeps you guessing as to who will end up with the money and how they will get to it.

I highly recommend this movie.

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.

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.

I have never seen a film as relentlessly uncompromising about the allure, power, and banality of the con game as I have seen in the Argentine `Nine Queens.' From the opening sequence where small-time grifter Juan pulls a $20 switch at a convenience store to the final scam that looks like `House of Cards' and `The Sting' welded onto `Hard Eight,' nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted.

More recently think of `Sexy Beast,' `The Heist,' and `The Score.' However this is David Mamet territory, where buddies keep one eye on the target and the other on the buddy.

In the current `Enron' environment, no surprise at the allegorical suggestion of this film that trust is a rare commodity these days, banks are vulnerable (consider the Argentinean economy), and lame goddess Nemesis may never catch up with some of business's most egregious con artists, from CEO's to salespeople.

The film's pace is quick, like the hands of 3-card Monte; emotional involvement either on the screen or in the audience is minimal; everyone has a moment of triumph and defeat. Even beauty has its deceptive moment when Leticia Bredice, as the sister of other con artist Ricardo Darin, struts her stuff in the hotel lobby.

`Nine Queens' won 7 awards from the Argentinean Film Critics Association. I'm betting that's not a con.

There are a few movies that have the premise found in this movie and that is the old 'sting' or the 'con'. 'The Sting' with Paul Newman did spring to mind at certain scenes whilst watching this but, to be honest, this film is very original and has something all of it's own. Very well acted by the main actors as well as the rest of the cast, the plot was superb, seemingly predictable at first, there was a moment when during the film you suddenly realised that you didn't have a clue who was conning who and what exactly was REALLY going on?!

Very well written and as some have said here already, the twist is wonderful and surprising, by then I had suspected every possible scenario as the reality but failed to get it right!

Recommended watching. There is a reason this film is included in the book '1001 Movies You must see before you Die'.