BURNT MONEY (2000)

Leonardo Sbaraglia and Eduardo Noriega star in director Marcelo Piñeyro’s 2000 true crime film BURNT MONEY (Plata Quemada).

Today’s post was written by author/critic Gary Kramer (@garyemkramer on Instagram) and is an excerpt from his book “Independent Queer Cinema.” Be sure to follow his Instagram page for the latest on upcoming film releases!

Director Marcelo Piñeyro’s elegant, absorbing film is a stylish and sexy crime melodrama. “The Twins,” Nene (Leonardo Sbaraglia) and Ángel (Eduardo Noriega) were once extremely romantic—just watch how seductively Ángel removes a cigarette from Nene’s mouth and crushes it in his fingers—but at present there is something “broken” in their relationship. Hired for a hold-up, they are partnered with the cold-blooded Cuervo, a sedative addict who has contempt for Nene and Ángel; his presence adds further stress to their already tense relationship. Things get worse when the heist turns out to be a rainy, bloody mess.

BURNT MONEY spends considerable time observing the characters tormenting themselves and/or each other. Ángel is self-destructive, Nene embarks on clandestine sexual encounters with men, and Cuervo displays a recklessness that may lead to the trio getting caught. Although the film is quite grisly, Piñeyro finds a kind of intimacy amid all of the bloodletting. A sequence in which Nene tends to Ángel’s chest wound displays such tenderness—he strokes his lover’s head reassuringly—that it becomes an incredibly touching love scene. Another passionate episode features Nene spying on Cuervo having sex with his girlfriend Vivi (Delores Fonzi), who catches Nene looking and teases him by further exposing Cuervo’s naked ass.

BURNT MONEY boasts gorgeous cinematography, a lush Tango soundtrack, and outstanding period detail in the vintage clothes and cars. The breathtaking finale drips literally and figuratively with atmosphere. Set inside a fiery apartment, the heat in this scene is absolutely palpable. As the criminals—stripped to their undershorts, dirty and sweaty—attempt to survive a maelstrom of violence, a thrilling shootout takes place. Violent and sexy as hell, BURNT MONEY smolders.

PLATA QUEMADA (Burnt Money)

2000. Argentina/France/Spain/Uruguay.

Director: Marcelo Piñeyro

Screenplay: Marcelo Piñeyro & Marcelo Figueras

Starring: Eduardo Noriega, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Pablo Echarri, Leticia Brédice, Ricardo Bartis, Dolores Fonzi and Carlos Roffé

BURNT MONEY isn’t widely streaming at the moment, though you can find it on DVD, streaming on FlixOlé (Spain), or for rent/purchase through Amazon (USA).