MOVIES AT LA PLAZA: THE DELINQUENTS -- The Unexpected Move

Movie Review by Sergio Martinez

Under the direction of Rodrigo Moreno, this Argentinean film (in co-production with Chile and Luxembourg) presents us with the story of two bank employees, Morán (Daniel Elias) and Román (Esteban Bigliardi) whose names, as can be seen, are very similar and use the same letters, which is called an anagram. Somehow, their personalities also have some similarities, neither of them seems particularly happy in their work, although they also have their differences, Morán projects a more formal image: impeccable in his dress and appearance, he seems to live relatively comfortably in his single man's apartment. Roman, on the other hand, is married, but his appearance denotes a less happy state than that of his colleague.

Morán (Daniel Elias) projects the image
of a typical bank employee

Everything will change when Morán summons his colleague to a meeting to propose an idea that Román, at first, rejects outright: to agree to keep a bag containing a very large amount of money that, according to Morán, will allow them to live well and without working for 25 years. Morán, until then a reliable bank employee, has taken advantage of his free access to the bank's vault to extract a large amount of dollars. Moran, who has already planned everything, will turn himself in to the police, and serve a sentence of approximately three and a half years and after that, he and his partner will be able to enjoy the money. The perpetrator of the scheme makes it clear to his colleague that if the latter refuses to keep the bag, he will tell the police that Roman was also his accomplice in the robbery. With no other choice, Roman accepts the deal.

At first, Román (Esteban Bigliardi) was reluctant
to go along with Moran's scheme

Prison, however, holds some unpleasant surprises for Morán: as a result of extortion he has been subjected to by one of the thugs controlling the prison, he must contact Román to wire a certain amount to the guy who has threatened him. While everyone in the bank is now under suspicion, including Roman himself, who in turn has problems with his wife, things seem to be about to get complicated. Román has hidden the money in a secret place suggested by his accomplice, but near that place, he meets Norma (Margarita Molfino) and this will change his life, although only for a short time. When Morán is finally released, we will find a bond, due to a move that each of them made at a certain moment, that connects the two banking colleagues in an unexpected dimension and that will alter the plans that both of them might have had.

At the bank now, everyone is a suspect

It is an interesting plot, beyond the implausibility of the events, with a dynamic narrative, although some scenes could have been shorter, with a cinematography that makes good use of the outdoor scenes. We recommend this film especially to those who are looking for a story with somewhat absurd elements, but that leaves room for some reflections on the crushing routine of an alienating job, and that moves well between its comedy and drama aspects.

Running time: 190 min.