Nicotina (2003) Reviews

The perfect crime goes horribly, absurdly awry in this Spanish-language tale of avarice starring Y Tu Mamá También's Diego Luna. Told in real time, Nicotina charts the different paths taken by eight characters over the course of a botched diamond heist masterminded by tech geek Lolo (Luna), Tomson (Jésus Ochoa), and El Nene (Lucas Crespi), each of whom has his own Achilles' heel when it comes to committing crime. For Lolo, it's his incessant, unrequited attraction to his neighbor Andrea (Marta Belaustegui); for El Nene, it's his overwhelming need to look cool as a neophyte gangster; and for Tomson, it's his loose-cannon demeanor that threatens to do him -- and everyone else -- in. Over the course of an hour and a half, the trio becomes intertwined with a variety of mobsters, shop owners, and not-so-innocent bystanders, each encounter bringing unexpectedly violent obstacles to securing the precious gems. Nicotina premiered in North America at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival before heading to the AFI film fest. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi