A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Delinquents” (2023) (from the London Film Festival).
Original Spanish title: Los delincuentes
So, I went to see this one at the London Film Festival because it said it was a “heist” movie; it concerned a bank robbery. It was Argentinian, so I knew there would be subtitles, but I thought it might be novel and exciting. Well…. it was novel…
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Morán (Daniel Elias) is working in a bank and plans the “unperfect” robbery. He goes into the vault, which is fully fitted with security cameras, loads millions of dollars into a bag, and walks out. Morán knows he will be caught, convicted and do three and a half years (with good behaviour) for the crime. (He subverts the old saying making it “If you do want the time, do the crime”!) But he has a plan. As a fait á complis he gives the money to one of his work colleagues, Román (Esteban Bigliardi), to ‘hold’ awaiting his return at which point they will split the millions between them and retire. A ‘simple plan’, huh? But just like Sam Raimi’s film, they find there is no such thing.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (This has not yet been rated by the BBFC or the MPA. I would expect it would be rated a ’15’/R for sexual content and language).
Talent:
Starring: Daniel Elias, Esteban Bigliardi, Margarita Molfino, Germán De Silva, Cecilia Rainero.
Directed by: Rodrigo Moreno.
Written by: Rodrigo Moreno.
Twitter Handle: #TheDelinquents, #LosDelincuentes.
Running Time: 3h 9m.
A bizarrely unrealistic heart-attack moment as Del Toro (Germán De Silva) talks. Román (Esteban Bigliardi) is far right. (Source: Wanka Cine – queue titter from the UK audience!).
“The Delinquents” Review:
Positives:
- I really liked the simple premise of the film. The idea of a bank robbery; the accomplice wracked with guilt as investigations proceed; the complications involved with hiding the money; the deception of friends and family.
- There are some nice characters in the film, well acted. Morán and Román are well observed. And great fun is had with an ‘anagram meeting’ when Román, Norma, Morna and Ramon all get together!
- There are some good comic moments that raise laughs: constant demands not to put “red sausage” in a meal; a squeaky chair; requests for multiple glasses of water from a music student.
- The film has an intermission built into it (even if the LFF didn’t observe it!). More long films should have intermissions (are you listening Scorsese?!)
Negatives:
- Oh, my word. It is probably called “art”, but this film took its own merry time in getting anywhere. For the second time in two LFF films (the other being “Baltimore“) I wanted to get this film into an editing suite. Unlike “Baltimore“, which I wanted to edit into a more linear timeline, this one I wanted to edit for length. Why take 30 seconds showing our lead walking to work (and this is in the pre-titles) when you can take 4 minutes? And after sitting in the cinema for a bum-numbing three hours, there is one pan of the camera up a hill that moves slower than a glacier would come down it! I wanted to yell at the screen “COME ON WILL YOU!”
- There are some plot elements that seem to be completely superfluous. For example, there is a whole rigmarole at the start of the film about a signature on a cheque matching that of another customer. It is a complete red herring and you never hear about it again!
- The music (the “music editor” is Lucas Page) doesn’t seem to pick a style and stick to it. We start with a nice Harry Palmer vibe to it over the opening titles (I thought it was trying to ape the start of “The Ipcress File” for a moment); then develops into a nice “Oceans 11” vibe; but then goes somewhere completely different for the rest of the film!
- A sub-plot revolves around a hell of a coincidence involving Norma (Margarita Molfino) falling for both Morán and Román. Now Esteban Bigliardi is 50 years old and Daniel Elías is probably not far off that and having Norma fall for either of them strains credibility. This feels like some middle-aged man’s wet dream. At some point the script references Norma as “in her 40’s”, but take a look at this photo of Molfino of IMDB and you judge!
- The ending. I guess it leaves you pondering what it all means. But when the words “FIN” suddenly came up on the screen, I swear half the people in the screening whispered “WHAT?” under their breath!
Actress Margarita Molfino, from the trailer. (Source: MUBI).
Summary Thoughts on “The Delinquents”
I talked to a number of people at the LFF after this screening and some of them really liked it. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. With some irritations about the pacing, I enjoyed the start of the movie and the characters on show. But the last two thirds of the movie really went downhill for me and the non-event ending just plain annoyed me.
I often get criticised if I use the word “pretentious” in reviews: but in this case it feels justified to me.
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Trailer for “The Delinquents”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KacoBtvgcT0 .
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