A Viszis (The Whiskey Bandit)

Director Nimrod Antal’s Hungarian-language feature includes stylish editing and occasionally action-packed sequences. Based on a true story, mainly between the late ’90s, Attila Ambrus (Bence Szalay) robbed banks, while usually leaving behind an empty whiskey bottle. Thus, the titular name, The Whiskey Bandit. I’m still not sure why he specifically kept a whiskey bottle. Indeed, as shown, he was inspired in doing this, at a bar, while hearing a television anchor-woman reporting and ‘glorifying’ his heists (a misdeed to which the media is sometimes chastised to, till date). The makers could’ve emphasised more on explaining about this style of Ambrus.

Perhaps some of the characters who had less screen-time seemed to be conversing in deadpan expressions. Kata’s (played by the attractive Piroska Moga) parents, especially her father, dejected him quickly, with a reason for him not having a stable job or money. The scene also felt quite generic and seems to be approached just as an archetypal stock scene to progress the narrative. Although it was supposedly a key plot-point for the further events to unfold. When Ambrus goes to the passport office, an attendant there delivers his dialogue-heavy act, although with desired escalated pace, but in a noticeable blank look. The same scene then match-cuts to another, when Ambrus is disruptively ambushed by a stranger. Which then leads to him being thrown at an ice-hockey arena. Who was this stranger, why did he pushed away Ambrus – we never get to know. There was a fine use of an editing technique here, but it felt gimmicky.

The Whiskey Bandit’s several action scenes unfold during the second half. For instance, Ambrus has just started driving a scooter and is suddenly crashed by an unknown car. While him also being in the process of being chased by a well-built man on a Bullet motorcycle. The scene was quite unexpected and for a while, had me in an adrenaline blow.