Delinquent Behavior

A “delinquent” can be either of these things: someone who violates the law, or someone who is overdue in an action. In Rodrigo Moreno‘s film The Delinquents, the meaning applies to both. In this case, those who break the law in order to rectify something they are crucially overdue in doing: finally living their lives. What starts out as a dryly funny bank heist comedy, The Delinquents ends as a poignant meditation on the sacredness of life that will inspire those who seek out this special film.

Setting the Stakes, Stealing the Cash

The film opens with a hilariously drab shot of a colorless suit laid over a chair. It’s the sad uniform of Morán (Daniel Elías), a lifeless bank teller who handles large amounts of money each day for a living, without the faintest trace of joy on his face. One day, Morán nonchalantly enters the main bank vault alone. Staring into the security cameras, he casually proceeds to put over $650,000 in cash into his bag and walks out of the building.

Morán then meets up with an unsuspecting colleague, Román (Esteban Bigliardi), informing him of the illegal act he performed earlier that day. Román also learns of Morán’s grand plan: that if he looks after the stolen money while Morán serves out his sentence (which he’s calculated to be just over three years; less with good behavior), he’ll receive half of the money–which Morán reasons would equal five years’ worth of salaries working at their soul-crushing bank job. Initially reluctant, Román agrees, and takes the money to hide. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Comical, and Then Poignant

What begins as an impulsive agreement to accept a sizable fortune turns into full-on anxiety for Román–especially after a strong-willed detective enters the picture and signs start to point to his involvement. Román decides it’s not worth it, visiting Morán in prison to inform him he can no longer keep the money. Morán–who himself is experiencing the unexpected roughness of prison life–tells him of a hidden nature reserve where the cash can be stashed. Román buries their fortune, but not before meeting a group of friendly strangers at the lake: Norma (Margarita Molfino), Morna (Cecilia Rainero), and Ramón (Javier Zoro) (yes, they are all anagrams, signaling a cosmically fated connection that we all share with one another).

It’s here where the first act ends, and where the film takes on an entirely new tone in its second act: one that’s less comical, and more observant about life’s beauty when you’re finally outside of the system. Rámon embarks on a new passionate life path with Norma, avoiding the stresses of his job as well as the family he left behind. The film moves from the busy city into the wide expanse of nature, where Rámon, Norma, and his new friends live (and where Morán may still be connected to this new group of strangers).

A Long Film About the Passing of Time

Rodrigo Moreno‘s film is an incredible work of art, ultimately revealing how people can let their jobs become their life’s meaning and forget the source of true happiness. Moreno’s ways of slowing the movie down to reflect this, such as dancing to a long song, hearing a full-length poem read aloud, and simply witnessing beautiful shots of rolling mountains, are flourishes that remind us as viewers to slow down and experience these “unproductive” but beautiful moments without a “productive” value.

The Delinquents is a long movie. At 3 hours and 9 minutes–complete with two chaptered parts–it’s something of an odyssey to endure. Ironically, the film (Argentina’s official entry to the 2024 Academy Awards) is about the preciousness of passing time, and how we shouldn’t waste a single minute of it. To that end, you might think that watching a three-plus hour movie might go against its own message, but I’m here to say that you’d be wrong. The Delinquents accomplishes its mission in the final scene, proving it has the impressive and magnificent power to make you reconsider how you live your life.