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On Video and DVD: Nine Queens and Run Lola Run

© Kelcey Woolsten

When most people think of crime films, for the most part American films spring to mind. However, next time you are browsing the local video store, do not neglect the foreign section. Two of the best crime films I have recently seen include 2000's Argentinian film Nine Queens or Nuevas Rienas and the 1998 German film Run Lola Run, and I highly recommend renting them this weekend.

Nine Queens is very entertaining film about two con men, in the tradition of The Sting. As the film opens, a seasoned con man Marco (Ricardo Darin) decides to take a novice named Juan (Gaston Pauls) under his wing to teach him about the trade. During their day together, they are approached by Marco's ex-partner Sandler, who is ill and needs Marco to pull off a con for him-he wants Marco to sell counterfeit copies of some very valuable stamps, the Nine Queens, to a powerful man. As Marco and Juan begin to execute the con, complications arise including interference from Marco's sister Valeria (Leticia Bredice), who works in the hotel where the con is to be pulled and who hates her brother for stealing her part of their inheritance, demands from the buyer, and loss of the counterfeit stamps. As the day progresses, it also becomes increasingly clear that Marco has ill-treated and swindled everyone with whom he has had contact, and one has to question whether Juan will be his next victim.

With fine, engaging performances by Darin and Pauls and a fascinating, fast-paced story, Nine Queens is one of the best con films to come out recently-it is as good as Ocean's Eleven with an even more satisfying ending that turns everything on its head. Its only fault is that if you stop paying attention for even a minute, you may get lost.

Run Lola Run is a great movie that takes an interesting look at the way mere seconds can change fate so entirely. The film opens with Lola (Franka Potente, Blow and The Bourne Identity) taking a call from her frantic boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). Manni has just conducted a deal for $100,000, but because Lola was late picking him up, a series of events occurred which caused Manni to lose the money. Manni is meeting the boss, Ronnie, in twenty minutes, and fears he will be killed if the money is not delivered. He warns Lola that he plans to rob a nearby store to get the money, but she resolves to find the money somehow and begs him to wait. Thus begins a frenetic race against time. Accompanied by a fuel-charged techno soundtrack, Lola's attempts to get to Manni on time are nothing less than heart-pounding. This film does not lose its audience for even a moment.