MovieChat Forums > Nueve reinas (2000) Discussion > Nine Queens is a IQ test. Period.

Nine Queens is a IQ test. Period.

posted 18 years ago by jacques_05
13 replies | jump to latest

If you don't get it, you are simply an idiot.
Is the awful truth.
There aren't any holes or flaws.
I read all the critics of people who didn't get it, everything is so clear...

I watched this movie like twenty times or more, first of all because I love it. Secondly because I was amazed of this near flawless script, I wanted to find a hole in the script, but everything fits and the movie is full of winks deliberately.

Gas station: either way, Juan had been following Marcos and saw an opportunity to make his entrance or He knew Marco's schedule or behaviour... or maybe he knew that Marcos was about to make the same ruse to the girl...

Gas station 2: Juan Knew about this alter-ego of Marcos, he knew that Marcos needed a partner.

Gas station 3: Consider that this complex conning had been planned carefully, everything. Any small difference or deviation from the original plan could be solved by the high quick-mind creativity of Juan. Maybe Juan had an alternate plan, maybe not. who cares, it worked. The greatest and most important antibiotic, the Penicillin was discovered by chance, who cares how Fleming discovered it, it works.
The main problem and the most risky part was the beginning, to see if Marcos would bite the bait.

C'mon Do I have to explain everything?

I think this forum shows the reason of why people doesn't like this movie, because they DON'T GET IT. Don't undestand a thing, nothing, zip.

I have very good English subtitles, I checked it myself and the translations are quite accurate.
The part of the bathroom where Marcos asks Juan, "Would you *beep* a man for fifty grands?"
When marcos says: "Putos no faltan, lo que faltan son financistas", la traduccion que tengo es: "We are not lacking pillow biters, just financiers", es simplemente excelente, jajaja, aplaudo a los que tradujeron esto.

Well, as I was saying maybe you have a lousy translation.
If you need a subtitle, I can post it here, so you can use it.

What I love from this is the fine detail of everything. Since everything, from the Spaniard to Valeria all the people involved are a part of the ruse to con Marcos, you can see surprised expression of Marcos, nothing comes as it should be for him, nothing is under his control.
First with Vidal Gandolfo who says: "If you had something to sell me you'd knock on my door just like a book peddler. But if you were a smart Argentinian, you'd try to interest me. You could, for example, have a telephone conversation with an alleged buyer and make sure I'd listen to it. But you have to be subte, You shouldn't say anything like "What? For the Nine Queens? You are crazy!" And then the cop, "Please, don't hit me. I've something to sell. But it's legal. i promise. Do you understand? It was so ridiculous!."

And Marcos watch at the Spaniard, we know he is nervous he has been discovered. But he is very smart and says "I don't know what are you talking about". You gotta have guts.

And then, the scene where Marcos is about to tell Valeria about Gandolfo's dirty proposal:
Valeria: Chito, go get Federico. Tell him to come.
Marcos: No need to bring in the kid.
Valeria: Why not? We share expenses, we are roommates. He's got a right to know.
Marcos: To know what?
Valeria: Whatever it is you are going to propose. I know you. ("I know that tone in your voice", this is not translated in the subtitle). What do I have that interests you?

Here he is discovered again, and we can see the distress in the face of Marcos, he is being discovered everytime, this is not usual, people seems to be one step further all the time and he is distressed, nervous.
I love that detail in their acting performance.

Anyway, maybe movie analysis could be a interesting way of evaluating your IQ performance. Specially in movies like this, you have to be paying attention to every single detail.

nuff said,
take care people

[–] imejasan 18 years ago

I agree. I speak Spanish fluently and the subtitles were very well done. Very little was lost in the translation.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOLIERS SPOILERS

DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT

The ending was "tipped off" WHEN Valerie winked at Juan as she was leaving the hotel's laundry room.

She gave Juan a little wink, sort of like Paul Newman in The Sting. Right there and then I knew how the movie was going to end--I just didn't know how they were going to get to that point.

Nice homage to Paul Newman and nice way to let in some of the audience on what is going to happen.

[–] Robbie_The_Bird_Watcher 18 years ago

I loved this movie
but i wonder, how did the neccesity of his dad being in jail
and the con come out at the same time
i assume the con had 2 purposes
revenge for the inheritance deal (and exposing Marcos to his brother)
and to get cash for Juans dad
and it's just a matter of circumstance that the timing overlaped?
i mean....... even if his ad wasnt in jail
the con would of still gone down right?

and how did they time it with the bank closing?
or was that just a lucky break they incorperated into the con?

Religion: The practice of wrapping lies around yourself like a warm blanket.

[–] CynthiaVS 17 years ago

SPOILER:

regarding the bank closing: they got a tip the day before about the bank. This is explained in the last scene when they say that the guy who provided the tip would come back later to collect.

~Dream http://www.xanga.com/Dream

[–] rlokseniuk 17 years ago

i agree with everything.... except, i saw it in spanish so i dont know how good or bad the translations are....

[–] julian-359 14 years ago

I think that the necessity of Juan's father to be in jail is for the seriousness of the plot. Without that factor, Juan's only motivation to trick Marcos would be a simple gesture of gallantry with nothing to lose. His father's situation puts perspective in the whole con, to remind the audience that people can get caught for doing this, thus adding on to the risk, and for giving Juan a real reason to do this, other than helping his girlfriend.

The translations are excellent. They really put thought into what they were saying, rather than making robotic Spanish-to-English translations

[–] kumarihpx 10 years ago

yes, and his dad in jail gives Juan something to worry about, so we can see him sulk around pretending to have trouble deciding if he'll give the $50K to Marcos. In the end, we were all conned by the director. I also love how in the cafe scene, Juan is telling his story through the open window and when he looks back, it looks like Marcos wasn't even listening (dropped something on the floor maybe) though we know later that he heard every word with his ears burning for info on his mark!

[–] ExPresidents 13 years ago

Sorry, but this just wishes it was The Spanish Prisoner.

[–] marcel-san 13 years ago

I loved the movie. I "felt" the real con coming on when Juan lights up a cigarette minutes after Marcos throws the boxes away because he apparently didn't smoke. After that it was like a game a real blast.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rudykawa 10 years ago

The problem with this movie is that it mixes the public lures with the coned lures.

Comparing the initial scene with the penicilin I sincerely didn't understand.
We are suposed to think by the end of the movie that this thing has been planned for at least 1 week prior the initial scene (1 week when The Turc was gone). At least, probably was more.
And they put the WHOLE PLAN in the success of a very risky meeting? This makes little sense.
No. This scene was done not for the sake of luring the character of Marcos, but for the sake of luring the public. It's common sense that people have the tendency to do 2 things when watching movies: keep first impressions and support the character that seems more vulnerable. This first scene was made for that, to create a character Juan that his first impression for the audience is to be clumsy, inexperienced and therefore drive empathy.
But, at the same time this scene was in conflict with the script as I stated before, at least in my opinion.

A second scene like that was his visit to his father. Again, not a scene to lure the coned character, but a scene to lure the audience. Again to show a Juan that is vulnerable (the scene ends with his father tricking him and giving him some life advice) seeking for his father.
But you've been planning a scheme for at least 1 week to get 200 thousands from someone. It's only a 1 day job (well, 1 day and 1 morning). And in the middle of the scheme you decide to be sentimental and go visit your father? What?
Couldn't have visited him like the day before or any other day?
And also, by this time the plan was already more than 50% successfull (they got Marcos to offer his 200k). Would Marcos really be just sitting waiting for Juan to come back? By his personality during the film, one would think he would have immediately tried to get this 50k in another way.

Well.
Those are my criticisms. Not plotholes, because most of them can be answered by using some vague justifications like "he did that to get his confidence", etc.
But just some inconsistencies and how a director should be careful when mixing scenes made to lure the public with ones to lure the characters so that they don't contradict each other.

[–] franzkabuki 10 years ago

"Every small difference or deviation from the original plan could be solved by the quick-mind creativity of Juan. Maybe Juan had an alternate plan, maybe not, who cares".

Yeah, that sounds iron clad...

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] chilone 9 years ago

One problem (not a plot hole though): Marcos came completely out of character when he crumbled like a house of cards at Vidal's demand to sleep with Valaria. Previously when someone tried to play hardball with him, he would call them on it. He hardly offered token resistance here.

Also, they should have set it up that the reason Juan's father was in prison was because he was a previous partner with Marcos that Marcos screwed. I think that would have given more cohesiveness to why Juan targeted Marcos. He AND Valeria both could get some great payback :)

I don't love her.. She kicked me in the face!!