Nine Queens

Taking the form of the classic long-con movie (think House of Games or The Spanish Prisoner, or maybe some film that wasn’t made by David Mamet) and condensing all the action into one day, Nine Queens tells the story of Juan and Marcos, two Argentinean gougers who meet on the street to cheat the elite. Lots of twists and turns and a "surprise ending" that you’ll probably guess, but probably not so early in the film that it ruins everything. While nothing is lacking from the con-job story, and the circuitous ruse essentially pays off in a tight ending, somehow it all seemed a little flat. Still, if you simply must see a movie about grifters, and The Grifters isn’t on TV tonight, or you’re just in the mood to watch an elaborate sting, and The Sting isn’t on TV tonight, then this is your best bet—unless Spanish Prisoner is on TV. Because then I’d totally stay home and watch that, because it’s excellent. (In Spanish with subtitles.)