9 Queens – Argentina

By Connie Marianacci
I am the kind of person that watches a movie once and never again. As time goes by, I barely remember the plot, who the actors were let alone remembering any quotes from it like lots of people tend to do.
9 Queens, an Argentinean film directed by Fabian Bielinsky took my breath away when I first watched it. It has a clever plot that holds your attention every minute of the movie, giving you suspense and at the same time, it plays with the characters in a sensual way.
You get a feeling of what Buenos Aires is about, what the city feels like, architecture in the city, the people and the political problems and how people react to them.
Some of the typical themes found in Buenos Aires:
- Going to the bank is always a chaotic experience. There is little customer service, there is always a line to wait on and it normally takes about 30 min. at least to do anything you need to do at any bank.
- Enjoying a coffee in the middle of the day. Many of the main scenes of the movie show people enjoying their small cup of coffee while meeting with someone either for professional or personal reasons.
- Populated 9 de Julio Street. This is probably the broadest street found in South America and beautiful indeed. Stores all around, buildings with big billboards, trees around the street and people walking. Just so you know, it is like crossing 2 streets in one and you better run when you have the right of way! http://www.amazon.com/Buenos-Aires-Panorama-Aldo-Sessa/dp/9509140368/sr=11-1/qid=1165510825/ref=sr_11_1/102-5192343-6103300
- Trust is always questionable. People have been known for not "keeping their word" so trust has diminished. This is an overall feeling of Latin Americans in general and not different for Argentineans. The movie has a great way of demonstrating this and build suspense around it.
Aside from a great plot, Gaston Pauls(Juan) is one of the classic sex symbols in Argentina and high demand among young women. Ricardo Darin (Marcos) has received many prizes both nationally and internationally.
To get a peak on Argentina, buy the film!