Nine Queens 2002

The film begins in a convenience store early in the day, where Juan, a clever con artist, manages to swindle the cashier with a deceitful trick. However, his luck runs out as he tries to execute the same scam again during the next shift. Enter Marcos, who has been quietly observing the scene. Marcos steps in, pretending to be a police officer, and takes Juan aside. Once they are out of sight, he confides in Juan that he’s not a cop, but rather a fellow con man.

Desperate for guidance, Juan seeks Marcos’s help; he needs to raise $70,000 in a hurry to bribe a judge and lessen his father’s prison sentence from ten years to just six months. Juan’s father, also a con artist, is currently incarcerated, and Juan is determined to secure his release. Though sympathetic, Marcos admits that he can’t help Juan gather that amount quickly. Nevertheless, they spend the day moving around the city, performing petty tricks to earn small amounts of cash, during which Juan gradually earns Marcos’s trust and respect.

An unexpected opportunity arises when they learn of Sandler, a former associate of Marcos, who needs Marcos’s expertise to sell counterfeit versions of rare stamps known as “The Nine Queens.” Sandler reaches out through Marcos’s sister, Valeria, who avoids contact with Marcos due to old family grievances. This strained relationship stems from past disputes regarding their grandfather’s inheritance, of which Marcos took more than his fair share, leading to a legal battle with Valeria.

Sandler, however, has created a buzz by claiming he’s made copies of the original stamps held by his deceased brother-in-law’s widow. Although she won’t sell the originals, Sandler has successfully crafted duplicates. They investigate a potential buyer, Gandolfo, a wealthy Spaniard who is simultaneously under threat of deportation and eager to hide his assets. Sandler believes Marcos is just the man for the job, having overheard about Gandolfo while visiting the hotel where Valeria works.

Marcos aims for a 90% take from the sale agreement with Sandler, believing it to be an easy job, and in a moment of desperation, Juan pleads for a small cut. Marcos, convinced they’re on the verge of a significant deal, accepts Juan into the fold. When the sale is set at $450,000, the profit far exceeds Marcos’s initial expectation of $30,000, stirring grand visions of a comfortable retirement in him.

However, complications arise when the stamp expert demands a cut after revealing the stamps are forged. The situation spirals out of control when the fakes are stolen from Juan and Marcos by motorcycle thieves, who inadvertently destroy them. To save the venture, Marcos makes a risky move by approaching Sandler’s sister to purchase the original stamps for $250,000. He proposes that Juan pitch in $50,000 of his savings, exploiting Juan’s desperation to help his father. Despite his apprehensions regarding Marcos’s intentions, Juan agrees, succumbing to the urgency of the situation.

When they arrive at Gandolfo’s hotel to close the deal, a curveball is thrown their way; Gandolfo expresses conditional interest, stating that he’ll only proceed if he is allowed to sleep with Marcos’s sister, Valeria. In a twist of fate, Valeria demands that Marcos confess his earlier misdeeds to their younger brother as a prerequisite. The deal concludes with Gandolfo paying with a cashier’s check that subsequently becomes worthless when the bank crashes the following day.

Just when it seems their scheme has collapsed and they are facing devastation, the film crescendos into a shocking conclusion. Juan visits a warehouse, where he encounters the motorcycle thieves, Sandler, his sister, and Gandolfo, alongside his fiancée, Valeria. The revelation unfolds: the true con was Juan’s all along, a well-orchestrated plan to turn the tables on Marcos, extracting $200,000 as retribution for his prior betrayals.