On the surface, director Rodrigo Moreno’s award-winning new film, The Delinquents, mimics other heist films by showing how the best laid plans always seem to go awry. While that simple template of a plot alone could be considered clichéd by now, this movie takes that formula and not only bends it by injecting the bank robbers with dramatic human desires, but also pushes the philosophical concept of existentialism in thought-provoking ways. Aside from the actual people who are trying to apprehend Moran (Daniel Elias) and accuse Roman (Esteban Bigliardi) of thievery, the two biggest antagonistic forces in The Delinquents seem to be the abstract notions of procedure and order.
Just the opening scene alone is a great example of these inanimate villains at work, as the audience watches Moran and a colleague go through the many slow and tedious steps involved with escorting a cart filled with money into the bank’s safe. Within mere moments of being ordered to stand guard, Moran, one of our main characters (the other to be introduced later on), slowly and slyly turns his head to see what numbers his colleague puts in for the code. When he is asked by the same coworker a couple of scenes later if he can put the day’s deposits into the same safe but by himself this time since he is too busy at the counter, Moran does as he’s asked, but not before grabbing a backpack from a bottom shelf close to his desk.
He uses the memorized sequence of numbers, takes the specific amount that he would end up retiring with, and flees, never to be seen again by the bank which employed him. While the pace rapidly quickens in this short sequence and forces the audience to hold their breath, everything about the speediness adds to the desperation of Moran’s personal dream.
Manifesting Temptation Through Mirrors
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As opposed to an obvious turn of the head which shows where Moran’s true allegiance lies, one of his coworkers, Roman, proves to be more deceitful than he looks when he asks to leave work early on the same day (but before Moran steals the money) for a doctor’s appointment to get a neck brace removed. Later that day, we see him walk up to Moran in the street, which shows that everything that went on in the afternoon of that day was a well-timed ruse.
Having dinner together, Moran convinces Roman to be even more of an accomplice and keep the money well-hidden for three and a half years while the former gives himself into the police for that same amount of time. In return, Moran tells Roman that he will share even more of the money than first agreed upon, explaining how three and a half years is much more warranted than melting your whole life away at a measly bank.
Director Rodrigo Moreno’s interesting use of mirrors as an allegory for temptation in this precise conversation (as the camera becomes more fixated on Moran’s reflection instead of his actual person), brings this scene to another level of intensity. This symbolic mirror imagery is implemented more than once during The Delinquents, cleverly probing the interior states of characters and revealing their needs, doubts, and loyalties.
Related: Best Bank Robbery Movies of All Time, Ranked
Speaking of a person’s loyalty, one of the ways in which this heist comedy-drama truly defines motivations is how characters look at how life is being spent. Moran would much rather incriminate himself, spend three and a half years in jail upon arrest, and then live the rest of his life in peace with the hidden money somewhere in the rural countryside. On the other hand, Moran’s boss (played by German De Silva) would waste no time boasting about working at the same bank for the last 55 years.
In between these two extremes, some long-term coworkers of our two male leads (who had nothing to do with the situation) are either fired on the spot for their supposed negligence or handed a drastic pay cut. Moreno’s emphasis on work, existence, and what it means to be alive through the eyes of those on different rungs of the corporate ladder makes The Delinquents a truly memorable experience when compared to robbery movies that have come out in the past.
Getting Lost In Love
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Once the two men are apart (that is, Moran in jail serving his sentence and Roman carrying the weight of the takings), The Delinquents opens up to other themes and subjects. While stashing the cash in a rural outpost far and away from the city, Roman finds an artistic director and his two female associates who are making a day out of enjoying the sun and swimming in the nearby lake. He falls madly for Margarita Molfino’s Norma, and the audience can tell that he is no longer psychologically pummeled by his friend’s task. She is a whisper in the wind, unencumbered by the constraints of social pressure, and Molfino plays the part perfectly.
Over the second part of The Delinquents, this newly discovered route of emotional abundance and intimate love seems to be replacing what the money was going to do for Roman. Even though he has indeed set up a life for himself back in the city with an apartment and a long-term girlfriend, he is temporarily seduced by her whimsical nature and no longer chained by the constructs of a nine-to-five city life. Seeing this once soul-drained bank teller take on new life through the vitality of this vaguely known woman is an antidote that most of us wish we could similarly and easily find at some point in our lives. Bigliardi’s emotional shift and altered performance is a sight to behold and really pulls viewers in, making us root for him.
Settling for the Abstract Rather Than the Literal
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While Moran and especially Roman are well-developed characters, some supporting characters come off as more abstract than literal. These include the Brazilian gang leader whom Moran meets while in prison, and the aforementioned filmmaker that Roman meets while traversing the mountains to hide the money, Ramon (played by Javier Zoro).
Being a director that seems to favor the natural world above all else, Ramon just doesn’t bring anything explicit to the story. His conversational dialogue is forgettable and even his physical appearance is not anything striking. He does hold a team leader-like presence though. Without him being there, the two sisters wouldn’t have any reason to be at that creek bed either. They are single-handedly led by the provoking and inspirational way he holds the camera to nature.Related: Here Are the 7 Best Movies About Characters Having an Existential Crisis
For the gang leader that Moran meets in prison, the most intimidating and violent bully has some incongruous dialogue that just doesn’t seem fitting (at one point he references the negative effects of social media and cell phones). While these two roles hold some purpose in a film that walks along the concept of existentialism, these specific characters are weak and unfulfilled.
At the start of the film, both Moran and Roman already have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to not being satisfied with where they are and who they are in life. Ultimate satisfaction doesn’t come through counting piles of cash or registering customer slips. But once they experience a gallop of unbridled passion and sorrowful loss in their own unique ways (they do end up settling on different paths), both Moran and Roman are able to breathe at last. The heist’s fortune becomes a secondary gift. Instead, they find true contentment and warmth through the ever mesmerizing nature scenes that this filmmaking troupe bestowed upon them. The bank’s mahogany colored corners and swift temperament is traded in for the simplicity of camping on a cliff bed, horseback riding through valleys and singing because you feel like it.
The Delinquents is a film for those who share the same dream. While the grim and harsh realities of this world may not enable you to come any closer to that aspiration, this film will let you experience the overwhelming emotions associated with stepping into that desire.
From MUBI, The Delinquents will be in theaters October 18 in the US, October 26 across Latin America, and October 27 in Canada, before being eventually added to MUBI. You can watch the trailer below:
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