Como el gato y el ratón

This film was mainly interesting to me because it was set in Bogotá. I seldom get the opportunity to see films set in or about Colombia and so was very curious about Colombian-style film making--and just seeing Bogotá --even the shantytown part of the city.

I've come to expect this kind of black comedy from the Spanish. And, in fact, Como el Gato y el Ratón reminded me somewhat of the Spanish (black comedy) film La Comunidad, in its portrayal of neighbors turning on one another. I never have been able to watch La Comunidad to the end because, at some point, the violence in it gets to be too much for me, and I just can't bear to watch any more.

I DID watch all of Como el Gato y el Ratón, and it didn't quite get to the point where I had to turn it off. But, it too, goes a little beyond "black comedy" toward mostly just black without a whole lot of humor left.

It was a little over the top, but it held my interest even though my Spanish is not good enough to understand every word. Obviously, I missed some of the subtleties of the film both because I'm not from Colombia and Spanish is not my first language.

The film was just interesting enough and the Bogota setting exotic enough that I'd recommend it.

One very pleasing surprise was to see this Colombian tragicomedy, first film of Rodrigo Triana. With some references to Shakespeare (Romeo and Julieta with return of nut including) this film narrates the history of two families in a marginalized district who are themselves become muddied with the coming of the electrical light their houses. The progress versus human nature, how a man (and his family) can face the fact of to have power? And the envy of the neighbor? I can smell total revenge in so many levels. With very good rate, and between laughter and laughter, the director takes us of the hand to know the being more primitive than he lives in each one on us. Recommendable.

The Trianas are like a plague to Colombian cinema. Jorge Alí has made almost unbearable pieces of crap on Tv, stage and film, and now (uh, oh) comes his son, Rodrigo, with this once again irresponsible film about how the poor people of Colombia are nothing but savages, uncapable of dealing with something so simple as having electric power on their neighborhood. This one is a mean-spirited movie, wich makes fun and turns into a comedy the difficulties that the lower classes of Colombia have to deal with in their daily life. All of the characters lack any dignity, spirit or, for that fact, anything good: They're all reduced to cliches and sketches in order to amuse the audience, with no thought whatsoever given by Triana to make them three-dimensional, dignified, troubled human beings. ¡¡It even has a role for "Betty la fea" in there!! On a narrative and technichal level, the movie does represent an improvement on most colombian cinema, but it's a pity that this goods service such a morally bankrupt and corrupt movie, made by the upper class as a school assignment on the lower class: just like looking at frogs and going "Ewww... look how this savages kill each other". Shame on Mr. Triana.

Like Cat and mouse

In Colombia most of the people don't believe in Colombian cinema. Long decades with a few numbers of productions with poor technique quality make them to hesitate when a new film appears. Even some famous titles as Rodrigo D: no futuro and La vendedora de rosas (The rose seller) both directed by the talent Victor Gaviria or La Estrategia del caracol by Sergio Cabrera, are not enough to make them change their minds and decide to go again to the theater. Another ones, more sadly, don't want to watch the pictures because of the `reality' they say those films show. No matter the reason, they do not know that they are losing the opportunity of appreciate wonderful works that are something more than `reality'. The new film `Like cat and mouse' (como el gato y el ratón) presents by a new filmmaker called Rodrigo Triana gets a very good impression. The first thing is the excellent sound quality maybe the best problem to all Colombian pictures. The story is very strong and the characters are so well developed that is almost as if we were living in that suburb. To those Colombians who accuse the filmmakers of show the worst part of the situation is impossible to deny this story is almost history. The topic about a community without energy after many years of living in an illegal place is normal in Colombia. Bogotá, the capital of the country, has many suburbs as in the picture where any person must walks a lot to get the bus or to acquire the common water. The film is almost a documental as Martha Rodriguez and Jorge Silva did in 70`s but now, the humor appears all the time. The actors and actresses are very sensitive and they walk in those poor houses as if themselves were the builders. The language they use is similar to the country people and ordinary people. The urban culture as a part of the old country culture is showed in the way people celebrate common parties or religious one. The camera movements let the public participate the situation as if they be there. The finally phrase is more sad because we know it comes late: `venimos a poner los contadores de la luz' (worker says: we come to put the energy counter). The whole situation could be avoided but the lack of government is so obvious that the insignificant problem grows till come all the people to kill each other. Even the only one who tries to make something logic or reasonable has to get a weapon in order to get it. The picture is so well made that happiness is the less we can feel but the situation is so near to real Colombian life that nobody can go out the theater without a sour taste. In the show I was somebody aplaussed after the end and I can get why.the applause was to the director who can show sincerely the hard reality with an honest film but is difficult to accept that miserable act the young did: he seduced the daughter's neighbors to vengeances his family and happily he shouts it to them ahead all the neighborhood. I am a Colombian citizen and as a cinema lover I can write that it is a wonderful film that shows clearly the Colombian situation without to invent too much

You have to be used to Colombian movie style to enjoy this one, and understand basic facts and behaviors that make the whole point in this film. It wasn´t a complete waste of money, and I could say I'm even proud of the quality of this very Colombian plot, and the ending didn't dissapoint me at all;I would also like to make note of the great perfomance of Julio Escallón (Albino).