Burnt Money 2001

In the midst of Argentina’s bustling streets, an unlikely pair forms an unbreakable bond. El Nene (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a cunning thief, and Angel (Eduardo Noriega), a free-spirited drifter, meet in the unassuming toilets of a Buenos Aires subway station, marking the beginning of their tumultuous yet inseparable partnership. As they navigate the city’s underbelly together, their relationship evolves from a mere friendship to a passionate love affair, with a dash of criminal synergy. The once-strangers-in-arms become known as “the twins,” their bond strengthened by the thrill of shared exploits.

However, as their exploits grow bolder and more reckless, the cracks in their relationship begin to show. The dynamic duo’s loyalty is put to the ultimate test when they join forces with a seasoned gang of thieves, including the suave yet troubled Cuervo (Pablo Echarri), who’s entangled in a forbidden love affair with the alluring Vivi (Dolores Fonzi). The group consists of a 16-year-old enigma, the cunning Fontana (Ricardo Bartis), and the aging lawyer Nando (Carlos Roffé), whose professional illusions have long since faded.

Their fateful heist takes a devastating turn when Angel is wounded by police gunfire. In a fit of rage and desperation, El Nene responds by slaughtering the guards and police, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The authorities are left scrambling to track down the culprits, with two police officers among the victims. As the search intensifies, a lead takes them to Vivi’s apartment, where the gang had been laying low – but they’ve already vanished, leaving behind only whispers and echoes.

The surviving members of the gang take refuge in an abandoned Montevideo apartment, waiting for new passports to facilitate their escape from Uruguay. However, this interlude proves particularly arduous for El Nene, as Angel’s increasing withdrawal into his own world – fueled by a lingering schizophrenia that causes him to “hear voices” – takes its toll on their relationship. The once-passionate lovers now find themselves struggling to connect, with the weight of their situation growing heavier by the day.

One fateful evening, El Nene decides to take matters into his own hands and breaks curfew, accompanied by Angel and Cuervo, to indulge in the thrill of a fair. But this fleeting reprieve is short-lived, as the trio’s troubles only continue to mount outside the apartment walls, where Angel’s emotional distance and silence serve as a poignant reminder that their bond may be strong, but it’s not immune to the ravages of reality.

As the night wore on, Nene’s tumultuous evening culminated in a brutal display of verbal and physical aggression towards another man, but his path soon intersected with that of Giselle (Leticia Brédice), a prostitute with whom he formed a complicated bond, even sharing a fleeting dream of escape with her. When Nando was apprehended by the authorities, the group was forced to abandon their refuge, prompting Fontana to strike out on his own while Nene sought shelter for Angel and Cuervo in Giselle’s apartment before they fled the city under the cover of darkness.

Angel had intuitively sensed that Nene had been unfaithful, and it wasn’t long before he pieced together the truth about Giselle’s place in their tumultuous triangle. Just as tensions threatened to boil over into a violent confrontation, Giselle revealed to Nene that she possessed connections on the other side of the border, offering him a chance to escape with her cousin’s help - but only if he was willing to leave behind two of his closest companions. When pressed to choose between his love for Angel and his desire to flee with Giselle, Nene opted to prioritize his relationship with Angel.

As they prepared to make their move, Nene confided in Giselle that she would be making a grave mistake if she turned them in, threatening to exact brutal revenge if she did. Undeterred by his threats, Giselle instead chose to honor her moral compass and alert the authorities to their presence. As the group prepared to make a last-ditch stand against the encroaching police force, Nene and Angel rekindled their passion, indulging in moments of intense intimacy as they awaited their fate.

Initially, the trio was buoyed by the prospect of outwitting the law, believing that neither the authorities nor the massive haul would be worth risking their own lives. With a sense of defiant glee, Nene and Angel took up arms to defend their sanctuary and their freedom, while Cuervo made a valiant but ultimately doomed attempt to breach the police perimeter. As the first wave of attacks subsided, Angel even allowed himself a moment of quiet triumph, noting that the cacophony of voices he had long heard had finally fallen silent.

However, as the group soon realized, there was no escape from their predicament. Cuervo succumbed in his ill-fated attempt to breach the police cordon, leaving Nene and Angel waiting anxiously for the next wave of attacks on their besieged apartment. Confronted with the brutal reality that neither their lives nor the loot were salvageable, they opted to burn the entire haul in a final, defiant celebration of life.

As the chaos unfolds, Nene’s fate is sealed as a bullet finds its mark, leaving him lifeless in the arms of his companion, Angel. In a desperate bid to protect himself and their dying friend, Angel continues to unleash sporadic bursts of gunfire towards the approaching law enforcement officials, his actions a poignant expression of grief, guilt, and defiance. As the screen goes dark, the audience is met with an unsettling silence, punctuated only by the echoes of police gunfire, suggesting that Angel has made the ultimate sacrifice, opting for martyrdom over capture as the authorities close in.