In the opening almost dreamlike sequence, we see a woman, Ana, a thief, operating in the Metro. There is a small boy, who obviously, is working with her. When she makes a false move, the police take her away. What follows is the present. Time obviously has passed, and now, the boy, grown up, comes out of the institution where he was sent because of his condition as an orphan. Going back to the apartment where he and Ana used to stay shows no trace of her, only the dummy used for practice.

The lad learned how to become a barber, so that's where he goes to get a paying job. It's hard for anyone to employ him, but he convinces the owner he knows how to cut hair. One day, he spots a young woman trying to steal a CD from a store. Little does she realize that security has been following her every move, as well as the young hairdresser, who saves her by stealing the incriminating item from her own pocket. She is baffled when she is let go, after all, she can't imagine what really happened.

The young thief follows her home and eventually approaches her. He has an interesting proposal, why not become his partner in crime. Being experienced, he'll teach her all he knows and they'll split the loot equally. The boy's luck runs out when a client at the barber shop realizes he has been pick-pocketed. The owner suspects the young man is responsible. Not wanting to be accused, he leaves the shop.

The partnership with the young woman seems to work well. Little by little he begins falling in love with her. With his success, he becomes a menace for another gang working the subway. The boy wanting to dispose of some of the loot he has stolen goes to talk to a fence who he thinks might lead him back to Ana. In turn, the old man has an interesting proposal that turns out to be disastrous for the girl; she walks away from him. Unfortunately, the rivals will not let him forget who they are in a violent finale.

Jaime Marques, the director, takes us for a ride into that world of these petty criminals who pry on innocent people. The only good thing one can say about them is that they never harm their victims; these type of crime rely on the agility of the perpetrator when he sees the mark getting careless. The adrenaline rush of these individuals must be incredible.

Best thing in the film is Juan Jose Ballesta, a young actor that keeps getting better all the time. His promising debut in "El Bola" indicated he was going to go far, as he clearly shows the audience in this film. Also appealing is Maria Valverde, the young woman recruited to help steal from the unsuspecting. Maria Ballesteros, who is seen as Ana, only appears briefly. Patrick Bauchau is the older fence.

Federico Jusid's music keeps pace with the action. Great camera work also by David Azcano. Jaime Marques seems poised for a good career in the Spanish cinema.

How come all crime movies, or most of them at least, have to revolve around a big heist? Why not focus on something smaller? Pickpockets, perhaps? That's exactly what Ladrones does, with mixed results.

The main character is a nameless boy (Juan Jose Ballesta) who was taught to steal wallets by his absent mother. He is able to do the trick effortlessly, using his "earnings" to survive while he looks for his mom. As he runs into an antique store owner, he might have found a trace that will lead to her. First, however, he will have to pull off a few "jobs" for the store owner, and he can't do it alone: enter a nameless girl (Maria Valverde) who gets to learn all the secret techniques the young boy has been using all his life.

Boy, girl, crime, love: not much of an original combo, huh? Bonnie and Clyde, Badlands, True Romance and many other superior films have dealt with the same themes over and over again. Ladrones is elegantly executed and far from annoying, but something is clearly missing. Perhaps it has to do with director Jaime Marques' inability to juxtapose the two plot strands of the movie: the doomed, rebellious romance is handled quite well (although the actors were definitely chosen for their looks rather than their talent),whereas the protagonist's search for his mother, which was supposed to be the story's driving force, is abruptly sidelined in the third act in favor of more teenage angst and other elements that set the path towards a predictable, emotionless climax. One might argue certain tales can only end like that - fair enough, but is it too much to ask for a little gusto in the delivery?

6,5/10