A great soundtrack. A thrilling story with a good pacing. Good stylish cinematography well directed. I cared about the main hero and the people around him. Although the main hero played just OK, the supporting cast did a very good job. This is one of those few rare gem non-cliche movies.
15 Reviews
Average crime story told with outstanding direction
laszlo-057007 June 2018
The Whiskey Robber tells the story of a cultic bank robber in the '90s of Eastern Europe. It sounds a bit boring? Well, sometimes so is the movie - but luckily you can always find joy in the details. One can only praise the work of Nimród Antal and his crew, they did an exceptional job with turning around a plot that would otherwise settle down outside the action scenes. Superb sounds and music, great cinematography, costumes and locations providing more insight to the story than the conversations. Basically this movie could be about anything - a milkman or an insurance broker - it would still be interesting.
Great Hungarian bankheist movie. Thrilling action packed photography, good acting. Based on a fascinating true story. Unknown little gem!
imseeg14 April 2019
Quality made Hungarian heist movie from director Nimrod Antal, who has made many other decent action movies before. This is not a masterpiece, but certainly quite a lot better than other run of the mill heist movies out there. Dont shy away by the fact that it is a Hungarian picture, this heist flick can stand the comparison with any great American heist movie. Honestly.
It's an underdog story, based on true events, about a Hungarian kid without any money or a job, who starts robbing his first bank out of sheer need for money. His first heist goes smoother then expected and he gets the hang of it. His many succesfull robberies become a national Hungarian media spectacle and he sort of becomes a Robin Hood. It's even more fun to watch, since this all has actually happened for real.
The photography, editing and soundtrack are all of high quality. I mention these technical details because many action movies just dont get the filming of action scenes right. This one fortunately does though, resulting in really suspenseful, action packed chase scenes. With good acting to top it of. Like I said it is certainly not a masterpiece, but it is really an enjoyable underdog heistmovie, which deserves more attention from the true heist movie fan, because it has all the ingredients I could wish for in a good heist movie.
It's an underdog story, based on true events, about a Hungarian kid without any money or a job, who starts robbing his first bank out of sheer need for money. His first heist goes smoother then expected and he gets the hang of it. His many succesfull robberies become a national Hungarian media spectacle and he sort of becomes a Robin Hood. It's even more fun to watch, since this all has actually happened for real.
The photography, editing and soundtrack are all of high quality. I mention these technical details because many action movies just dont get the filming of action scenes right. This one fortunately does though, resulting in really suspenseful, action packed chase scenes. With good acting to top it of. Like I said it is certainly not a masterpiece, but it is really an enjoyable underdog heistmovie, which deserves more attention from the true heist movie fan, because it has all the ingredients I could wish for in a good heist movie.
Nimród Antal's latest 'A Viszkis' is a thorough character study, a suspenseful crime thriller and a heartbreaking social commentary
choorydanny26 November 2017
'A Viszkis'/'The Whiskey Bandit' is a biographical crime-thriller written and directed by Nimród Antal and stars Bence Szalay as the notorious 1990s folk hero of Hungary, Attila Ambrus, who committed 27 bank and post office robberies from 1993 to 1999 until his eventual capture. The estimated amount of money stolen is more than 100 million HUF (approx. half a million USD) at the time.
Nimród, who I am a huge fan of after first seeing his acclaimed existential thriller ('Kontroll'), establishes the atmosphere of this immaculate thrill-ride right in the opening tracking shot of Ambrus committing one of his robberies after a shot at the local bar. What the director does so well is achieving a rather heartfelt childhood backstory to this character thus providing a deeper understanding of the Robber's motive. He was an outcast, an underdog. Then he became an antihero. We could interpret this film in a way as a coming-of-age drama, or a deeply affecting tragedy, but eventually it is a highly compelling true story.
On one hand 'A Viszkis' is a thorough character study, a suspenseful crime thriller and a heartbreaking social commentary. For one, Bence Szalay's fully embodied central performance and screen presence is undeniable. The gripping robbery scenes, the well-choreographed action sequences and the aggressive, cynical humor might just very well please the popcorn audience, while the conventional non-linear narrative actually serves a thoughtful purpose of navigating between good and evil. Moreover the production design is pleasantly convincing, the visual effects are top-notch and the mesmerizing cinematography elevates the film from its true crime counterparts. (There is no denying of how gorgeously this film is shot, I can tell you.) Operating with clichés like raised in a broken home, immigration to an other country without papers OR money and telling a non-linear narrative after the capture could have come out terribly wrong in the context of the film. Nonetheless Nimród accomplishes the same sort of sympathy for the Robber as was (and has been) felt by many Hungarians back then, still he never indulges in glorifying his deeds. The popularity of this individual in the public eye is derived from the fact that many had financial difficulties after the fall of the communist block. The Robber was a symbol of daring to spit capitalism and the banking System in the face.
However Nimród has never been as much of a compelling writer as an outstanding director when it comes to storytelling. Despite achieving terrific visually aesthetic heights, the second half of the story drags a little leading to certain side characters' motivations not making much sense - meaning the character development of the detective and the love interest. By no means does the film become boring. There is a certain amount of investment in the protagonist established in the first half. On the other hand the second half loses some steam down the road despite its spectacular action sequences. For example in one particular scene the actual motivation of the Whisky Robber is explained to us which could have been cut out entirely since the film has already made that clear minutes ago. I believe some scenes could have been easily cut out to tighten the structure. But maybe I am just nitpicking.
In the end 'A Viszkis' is a masterpiece of a film. Flawed? Yes. But still an unforgettable cinematic experience owing to the fact that the filmmaking elevates the source material with exceptional energy, stunning action, confident and passionate direction and a powerhouse central performance.
Nimród, who I am a huge fan of after first seeing his acclaimed existential thriller ('Kontroll'), establishes the atmosphere of this immaculate thrill-ride right in the opening tracking shot of Ambrus committing one of his robberies after a shot at the local bar. What the director does so well is achieving a rather heartfelt childhood backstory to this character thus providing a deeper understanding of the Robber's motive. He was an outcast, an underdog. Then he became an antihero. We could interpret this film in a way as a coming-of-age drama, or a deeply affecting tragedy, but eventually it is a highly compelling true story.
On one hand 'A Viszkis' is a thorough character study, a suspenseful crime thriller and a heartbreaking social commentary. For one, Bence Szalay's fully embodied central performance and screen presence is undeniable. The gripping robbery scenes, the well-choreographed action sequences and the aggressive, cynical humor might just very well please the popcorn audience, while the conventional non-linear narrative actually serves a thoughtful purpose of navigating between good and evil. Moreover the production design is pleasantly convincing, the visual effects are top-notch and the mesmerizing cinematography elevates the film from its true crime counterparts. (There is no denying of how gorgeously this film is shot, I can tell you.) Operating with clichés like raised in a broken home, immigration to an other country without papers OR money and telling a non-linear narrative after the capture could have come out terribly wrong in the context of the film. Nonetheless Nimród accomplishes the same sort of sympathy for the Robber as was (and has been) felt by many Hungarians back then, still he never indulges in glorifying his deeds. The popularity of this individual in the public eye is derived from the fact that many had financial difficulties after the fall of the communist block. The Robber was a symbol of daring to spit capitalism and the banking System in the face.
However Nimród has never been as much of a compelling writer as an outstanding director when it comes to storytelling. Despite achieving terrific visually aesthetic heights, the second half of the story drags a little leading to certain side characters' motivations not making much sense - meaning the character development of the detective and the love interest. By no means does the film become boring. There is a certain amount of investment in the protagonist established in the first half. On the other hand the second half loses some steam down the road despite its spectacular action sequences. For example in one particular scene the actual motivation of the Whisky Robber is explained to us which could have been cut out entirely since the film has already made that clear minutes ago. I believe some scenes could have been easily cut out to tighten the structure. But maybe I am just nitpicking.
In the end 'A Viszkis' is a masterpiece of a film. Flawed? Yes. But still an unforgettable cinematic experience owing to the fact that the filmmaking elevates the source material with exceptional energy, stunning action, confident and passionate direction and a powerhouse central performance.
One of the best Hungarian made movie
demolator-3067629 July 2018
Nice hungarian movie
imagecam12 February 2020
A great action crime movie!
drummerlaci2 May 2020
I think this is a very well made movie. It's not just very well directed but it successfully creates the authentic Hungarian/eastern european '90s atmosphere. It's amazing how authentic this picture feels. The casting is also amazing. Bence Szalay in the lead role just feels so natural but all the others are doing great. The director Antal Nimród is simply the best Hungarian director these days.
As a side aspect of the movie (in the first quarter) it portrays the vicissitudes of being Hungarian in Transilvania especially during the Ceausescu era.
As a side aspect of the movie (in the first quarter) it portrays the vicissitudes of being Hungarian in Transilvania especially during the Ceausescu era.
Nice story
amin-091627 September 2021
Movie You Will Love
jovana_ivetic30 June 2020
I was truly surprised with the movie. I read the book first, and loved it, so when I saw there is a movie based on it, my first thought was "No way it can be good, simply because so many things happen that there is no chance they put all that on the screens, and if they omit something, then it's not gonna be good". Turned out I was wrong. Yes, in comparison with the book, the movie is simplified, some events and characters are omitted, but still it was a beautiful watch. I enjoyed from the beginning till the end, almost unblinking.
The Whisky Robber
ambruskammermann23 March 2019
Nimród, you really shouldn't have
tamaspolgarpixeldog11 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I'm quite disappointed with this movie. It was clearly made by someone who knows a lot about American movies and cinema in general, but nothing about Hungary in the 1990's. Oh yes, that's exactly Nimród Antal, the Hungarian filmmaker born and raised in the US. The result is a weird hybrid of a weak American crime story and a Hungarian movie.
It's difficult to tell who was this movie made for. I imagine it was intended for a Hungarian audience, as hardly anyone outside our borders ever heard of Attila Ambrus or his shenanigans. After all, his story is hardly unique: a bank robber with a lot of luck, who was later captured, but escaped, then captured again and spent a lot of time in the slammer. Try telling this story at a party to non-Hungarians and they'll think you're tired.
The movie fails to capture the mystery of the real Whisky Bandit's story, which wasn't even really about the Whisky Bandit himself. He wasn't popular because Hungarians like criminals or bank robberies. His series of robberies revealed how impotent and corrupted Hungarian state authorities were. This might be very difficult to grasp for anyone who never lived in an Eastern European country, Nimród Antal included. Former Socialist states are still stuck in Soviet times when it comes to state administration. Authorities like the police are practically living on a legend of their invincibility and infallibility, while they're terribly underfunded, undermanned, corrupted and amateurish. Eastern Europeans perceive the police as an oppressive force, not a public service. When a cop walks up to you and asks for your ID, your stomach begins to sink. They aren't your friends, they don't serve you. They are bullies operating along odd policies that make little sense, often acting on a personal whim, frequently departed not only from the law, but reality and common sense. This is why common folk cheered the Whisky Bandit who made a fool of the police and revealed how worthless they were.
I have to give credit to the movie for one thing: it did attempt to capture this petty pursuit of power, so characteristic of law enforcement in Hungary. The scene where it's revealed that the detective is trying to push extra charges on Ambrus to compensate for his own failed life is very accurate and Eastern European. Indeed this is how they operate: if they can lay their hand on someone, they'll unleash their wrath and often make up excuses to completely destroy the suspect's life. Many and more people are in prison in Hungary who may have committed a crime, but not what they had been convicted for.
The scenes are full of serious anachronisms. There's almost always something out of picture: a car from a later era, a poster advertising a band that was only formed ten years later, objects and items alien from the time period. Locations are switched abruptly many times, and the characters take impossible routes around Budapest, jumping from one place to another. This may not be an issue for a foreigner watching the movie, but it pretty much ruins it for Hungarians, the audience this movie was intended for. It's difficult to understand how these blatant mistakes exist, while apparently the filmmakers took great care to arrange some miniscule details. For example the license plates of the cars all beginning with A to D, the letter in use during 1990's. I doubt, however, that even most Hungarians would know this. The effort is lost when we see completely out of place things and items, or see American movie clichés that are standing out like a sore thumb. I've just written more than 20 goof items, most of them anachronisms. In some cases they're so bad it literally hurts to watch.
The storyline is only loosely based on Ambrus' real story, and it's a very inaccurate depiction. This is where I have to take away at least four stars. They watered down the actual, quite intense story, as written by real life itself, to a simple, shallow series of robbery scenes. Literally 90% of the thrill is gone, and we get a mediocre film school thesis work instead. There was an excellent opportunity for a riveting climax if they just followed the real story. In reality the "Viszkis" committed several new robberies after he escaped, the police was mad, a manhunt was going on for months, but they couldn't catch him. The story of his arrests were also way more interesting in real life. The screenplay entirely skips these parts, we don't even see how was he caught for the second time. It just happens off-camera. No, I think I'll take away another star. I'm annoyed again just by typing this.
As for the acting, there's not much to speak of. We have a stereotypical detective, a shallow criminal with little character at all, some gal he's nailing, and some even blander supporting characters. Again this film school feeling, but this time the product is barely passing.
The result is an annoyingly bad movie which nobody can really enjoy. The only fun I had with it was to point out the mistakes and post them on this site. Even the real Whisky Bandit was really disappointed and said that it's not even close to his real story. Don't waste your time on it, either you're Hungarian or not.
The real disappointment is how many Hungarians are celebrating this movie as some masterpiece. Oh wow, a Hollywood movie about some Hungarian thing, gotta give it 11 stars! Why yes, if you're an average Eastern European prole who never saw anything better than painfully shitty soap operas on Hungarian commercial TVs, then 'The Whisky Bandit' will be an outstanding experience. But it's not because it's good - it's because you have the taste of a prole.
It's difficult to tell who was this movie made for. I imagine it was intended for a Hungarian audience, as hardly anyone outside our borders ever heard of Attila Ambrus or his shenanigans. After all, his story is hardly unique: a bank robber with a lot of luck, who was later captured, but escaped, then captured again and spent a lot of time in the slammer. Try telling this story at a party to non-Hungarians and they'll think you're tired.
The movie fails to capture the mystery of the real Whisky Bandit's story, which wasn't even really about the Whisky Bandit himself. He wasn't popular because Hungarians like criminals or bank robberies. His series of robberies revealed how impotent and corrupted Hungarian state authorities were. This might be very difficult to grasp for anyone who never lived in an Eastern European country, Nimród Antal included. Former Socialist states are still stuck in Soviet times when it comes to state administration. Authorities like the police are practically living on a legend of their invincibility and infallibility, while they're terribly underfunded, undermanned, corrupted and amateurish. Eastern Europeans perceive the police as an oppressive force, not a public service. When a cop walks up to you and asks for your ID, your stomach begins to sink. They aren't your friends, they don't serve you. They are bullies operating along odd policies that make little sense, often acting on a personal whim, frequently departed not only from the law, but reality and common sense. This is why common folk cheered the Whisky Bandit who made a fool of the police and revealed how worthless they were.
I have to give credit to the movie for one thing: it did attempt to capture this petty pursuit of power, so characteristic of law enforcement in Hungary. The scene where it's revealed that the detective is trying to push extra charges on Ambrus to compensate for his own failed life is very accurate and Eastern European. Indeed this is how they operate: if they can lay their hand on someone, they'll unleash their wrath and often make up excuses to completely destroy the suspect's life. Many and more people are in prison in Hungary who may have committed a crime, but not what they had been convicted for.
The scenes are full of serious anachronisms. There's almost always something out of picture: a car from a later era, a poster advertising a band that was only formed ten years later, objects and items alien from the time period. Locations are switched abruptly many times, and the characters take impossible routes around Budapest, jumping from one place to another. This may not be an issue for a foreigner watching the movie, but it pretty much ruins it for Hungarians, the audience this movie was intended for. It's difficult to understand how these blatant mistakes exist, while apparently the filmmakers took great care to arrange some miniscule details. For example the license plates of the cars all beginning with A to D, the letter in use during 1990's. I doubt, however, that even most Hungarians would know this. The effort is lost when we see completely out of place things and items, or see American movie clichés that are standing out like a sore thumb. I've just written more than 20 goof items, most of them anachronisms. In some cases they're so bad it literally hurts to watch.
The storyline is only loosely based on Ambrus' real story, and it's a very inaccurate depiction. This is where I have to take away at least four stars. They watered down the actual, quite intense story, as written by real life itself, to a simple, shallow series of robbery scenes. Literally 90% of the thrill is gone, and we get a mediocre film school thesis work instead. There was an excellent opportunity for a riveting climax if they just followed the real story. In reality the "Viszkis" committed several new robberies after he escaped, the police was mad, a manhunt was going on for months, but they couldn't catch him. The story of his arrests were also way more interesting in real life. The screenplay entirely skips these parts, we don't even see how was he caught for the second time. It just happens off-camera. No, I think I'll take away another star. I'm annoyed again just by typing this.
As for the acting, there's not much to speak of. We have a stereotypical detective, a shallow criminal with little character at all, some gal he's nailing, and some even blander supporting characters. Again this film school feeling, but this time the product is barely passing.
The result is an annoyingly bad movie which nobody can really enjoy. The only fun I had with it was to point out the mistakes and post them on this site. Even the real Whisky Bandit was really disappointed and said that it's not even close to his real story. Don't waste your time on it, either you're Hungarian or not.
The real disappointment is how many Hungarians are celebrating this movie as some masterpiece. Oh wow, a Hollywood movie about some Hungarian thing, gotta give it 11 stars! Why yes, if you're an average Eastern European prole who never saw anything better than painfully shitty soap operas on Hungarian commercial TVs, then 'The Whisky Bandit' will be an outstanding experience. But it's not because it's good - it's because you have the taste of a prole.
Disappointed!
Pumukly19 June 2018
I had high hopes for this movie as it was finally the return of Nimród Antal to European cinema after 15 years of Hollywood. It seems now that those 15 years have taken a great toll on his storytelling, because he managed to turn an extraordinary life to a boring movie. The only reason I kept watching is because I visited Budapest recently, had a great time there, and wanted to see if I could recognize some places.
A Viszkis is a predictive movie full of expected twists, and the director doesn't leave you guessing at any time. New characters and items that are going to be used later are introduced in the most obvious way possible. There are many cringy scenes and phrases which make this movie an insult to one's intelligence. Basically the audience for this movie are 12-year-old kids who love action movies.
In the end this was a huge disappointment after Kontroll.
A Viszkis is a predictive movie full of expected twists, and the director doesn't leave you guessing at any time. New characters and items that are going to be used later are introduced in the most obvious way possible. There are many cringy scenes and phrases which make this movie an insult to one's intelligence. Basically the audience for this movie are 12-year-old kids who love action movies.
In the end this was a huge disappointment after Kontroll.
The director should have watched a few Scorsese movies...
hendrixx6610 January 2022
The presentation of the story is amateur, there is no character developement, the main actor is not believeble, action scenes are filmed and edited badly, there is no drama, sound is missing. This movie could have made a good movie if correctly approached: the lack of sound, music gives a low budget amateur feeling to the entire movie, we could have seen a true 90's party, vacation scenes, get and insight how did the main character lived and spent the money. The issues start with the main actor who is not a clever, cool guy, doesnt have an understanding how to be a 90's daredevil, too young to have seen how people acted back then. Back then, people had nicknames, went to parties, clubs, lot of great music was back then. We dont get to experience the atmosphere that was back then. It isnt clear how the main character went from robbing a post office, to robbing central banks, how his confidence increased, his personality changed, how he spent the money only a few seconds of badly edited and framed sex scenes and dinner scenes. The lack of international scenes gives it a low budget feeling also because the robber lifestyle which motivated him should be a central motive in the film. Dear Antal Nimród, please watch a few gangster movies and learn how a heist story like this can be presented.
the worst ever
hmm-8549520 April 2018
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