In a flashback, Ernesto, a young con man, tells us how he got to the edge of a big score: childhood in an orphanage, youthful smash-and-grab burglaries until his partner is caught, then tutelage from Lefty, an aging swindler. After some years of success, they're joined by Federico, the best, a true artist. Things go well until Pilar, a woman from Federico's past, re-enters his life with a proposal to con a golden goose - a swindle that will put them all on easy street. A double-cross may be in the cards. The flashback over, can Ernesto hold his own in the present?
Acting
Luppi's Federico oozes worn elegance and dangerous charm.
Writing
Nested flashbacks that make you question every narrator.
Direction
Bardem keeps you guessing who's playing whom until the final frame.
Director
Miguel Bardem
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of a mini-wave of 2000s Spanish crime films reviving the classic 'estafa' tradition, less flashy than Hollywood counterparts but obsessed with honor among thieves.
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