Gato negro (2014) User Reviews

an interesting tale with a great ending!

[SpannersGerm669 · 6/10 · 19 August 2015]

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!

Decent effort though slow moving ...

[imranahmedsg · 6/10 · 12 September 2018]

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.

The path(s) you choose ...

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 6 January 2018]

Another reviewer wrote that having a knowledge of Argentina may give a deeper understanding and appreciation of the movie. I do believe this to be right, even if this does not linger too much in certain political or time related areas. And you can enjoy watching this even without that knowledge. What you have to have though is threshold concerning the main guys character ... calling him flawed would be an understatement.

The performance is amazing and there are things mirroring (his behaviour/acts and certain events happening) and there is also a different level in the movie that does seperate (film) truth and reality into fantasy or even nightmares. It's not the easiest watch, but those who appreciate challenge might rate this way higher - especially concerning torn characters!

Not a great film, but an interesting one

[Andy-296 · 7/10 · 21 April 2014]

In this film, Luciano Caceres plays Tito Pereyra and we see his ascent from literally rags to riches. During his childhood he lives with his very humble mother (his father was always absent from home) near a cane field in northern Argentina. Then he is expelled from school. He tries shining shoes at the local train station, until one day he decides to flee to a seaside resort, where he opens the limos of bigwigs at casinos. Then he returns to his hometown, but goes back to the big town (this time, Buenos Aires) as a young man. He lives in a single room around criminals and prostitutes and almost gets involved in their line of work, but he has a break when he is offered a job cleaning bathrooms at a factory. Cut to several years later, and he already owns the factory (this sort of thing makes the movie not very believable). He eventually becomes a very rich businessman, in the import business, for which he has to bribe customs officials and military officers as well as to scare judges. But he can never quite escape his past, and he will soon get his terrible comeuppance for his success.

At almost two hours, is quite long for an Argentine film. Its production values are also quite good for the country (and also considering this is a film debut). Unlike other filmmakers from Argentina, the director knows he has to entertain and engage the audience, which he does. Among the minuses of the movie is that the plot is not quite believable: I don't believe such rapid social climb is possible in Argentina (or perhaps in any country). There are also some crude, hard to believe scenes, for instance, one near the beginning when he and other boy are sadistically beaten by the nuns in a religious school. Or the penultimate scene involving a shootout. Or the last scene (which I'm not revealing). Anyway, this film is quite not a great film, and is hard to believe at times, but it is quite engaging and it shows a director of some talent

A little of Argentina on film

[martin-reboreda · 8/10 · 21 April 2014]

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.

Spanning about four decades, from the 1950's to the 1990's, the film tells the story of a man who goes to any length to twist his fate.

[lolajonascampbell · 8/10 · 14 April 2014]

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.

Tito Pereyra, a guy who does everything for success

[yo_lauriera · 9/10 · 21 April 2014]

The film is a good way to understand a small part of the Argentina history and contextualize the likes of Tito Pereyra, a guy who does everything for success. His childhood is complicated but still and their ambitions are huge. The plot is very interesting, shows the evolution of society and politics mixed with milestones Argentina Historic country. A feature of the film is that it incorporates elements of the capital and the north of the province of Tucumán, to form present an overview of the Argentine. The performances of several Argentine talents make up a large cast and give a large variety of characters to the story. It really is a very good film.

Gato Negro, a film about a man willing to sacrifice everything to get what he wants.

[ffakilnifure · 10/10 · 10 April 2014]

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.