Gato negro

I watched Gato Negro hoping to get an idea of post-war Argentine society. Instead, I got a blend of a period drama, thriller, crime and social piece woven into one slow moving film.

Unfortunately, the Argentine film didn't work well in any of the genres. The Director tried doing too much and lost focus. A classic case of 'jack of all trades and master of none.'

Yes, I did get a glimpse into Argentine society: a dry and limited glimpse without any color provided by the filmmaker though not enough to redeem the movie as an 'intellectually stimulating foreign film!'

The story started well enough by introducing the main character, Tito, as a boy destined for something more than life in his rural village hometown. Sure enough, the film follows Tito grow into a wealthy businessman of dubious character and shady deals. (I guess that's business in Argentina?)

Along the way he meets - and forgets - many characters. However, his hometown of Tucuman keeps nagging at him through different ways, e.g. family, former lover, etc. He just can't seem to shake off his history with Tucuman even after becoming a wealthy international businessman.

I can't (and won't) say much more of the plot so as to not give away too much.

Although not a 'screaming buy,' Gato Negro is a good effort by director Gaston Gallo. I will keep on the lookout for more films by Gallo. He is bound to direct a gem at some stage.

Note: Gato Negro is available on Netflix in most jurisdictions as at the time of writing, i.e. September 2018.

Gato Negro is a film that portrays the life of a survivor, Tito Pereyra, who elbows his way in life to achieve what he wants. The story begins in provincial Argentina, in a town whose main and only activity is sugar production. Tito wants to get away from there desperately, and his chance to do so comes from the hands of his own mother, who abandoned by her husband emigrates to the capital taking him and leaving behind, not only her hometown but her elder son, Claudio (Gonzalo López Jatib- Roberto Vallejos). With time, Tito settles down in Buenos Aires and meets a myriad different people from all walks of life, low- lives, workmen, women, and very powerful people with whom he interacts in his permanent struggle to twist his fate and stay as far away from poverty as possible. Omnipotent and with an overflowing passion and thirst for success, Tito ultimately finds himself with his back against the wall at the time of having to make tougher decisions in his life. Tito Pereyra is performed by Luciano Cáceres, who outstandingly interpreted his character's gritty and soulful nature. Very accurate direction of light, costume design and make up. Gato Negro was written and directed by Gastón Gallo, with locations in the Province of Tucumán and the cities of Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata.

Gato Negro tells the story of a young boy growing up in the poor area of Tucuman, Argentina. He is constantly in trouble until one day he decides to run away and try his luck in Buenos Aires. From there, his life takes off and over four decades he rises up the social ladder but along the way he steps on the toes of those around him which gives him a lot of unwanted attention. I didn't know what to expect with Gato Negro, but what i got was a somewhat interesting tale of a mans desire to make it big and letting nothing get in his way. The acting was great and the cinematography was superb. The movie did have its problems, mainly with the pacing and the way the story seems to skip from decade to decade, but the ending was very good, which gave the viewer the message that karma will come back to get you! Overall its definitely a film that i would recommend to those who are fans of world cinema!

Who would have said that Luciano Caceres could play a leading role like this one? He has got the skills, the "physique du role" and the youth, but he had not had the chance to land a part like this one so far. Tito Pereyra (Luciano Caceres) is a man who finds overcoming poverty as hard as overcoming his own growth without a father. His quick but tough way up the social ladder is shown as something that he can't think of without crossing moral boundaries. Gaston Gallo, director and writer of the film, created this character who needs to feel he is in control of everything: his women, his contacts, his acquaintance… Unlike other Argentinian movies, there is a lot of attention given to dialogues and language shades. Eugenia Levin's casting of mostly film- and- theatre actors is an obvious effort to guarantee good performances of characters that although short- lived, are complex and vital to the development of Tito's life. The weakest points? Sound and music, especially in suspense scenes or where the film's own song would have been of good use.

I had mixed feelings about this movie until I spoke with a friend and he showed me with a little bit of wisdom and an open mind what was all really about. At first I thought of Gato Negro as one of those movies, with a nice actor like Luciano Cáceres, a script sometimes long and ambitious, and a story somehow a little bit too familiar. Yes it's true, the hero that makes almost everyone of his calls unethical and borderline malevolent is a new comeback since Breaking Bad. But I found in Gato Negro more than that, I see it as one of those movies that you need to know Argentina to really appreciate it. Not because the storyline wouldn't be understood, but because it would lose the rich work of making a good scan of Argentinian culture, people and history. It's more than Tito Pereyra's life story, it's the little things in the acting, in the script that makes this a more than interesting film to watch.