His crimes bought him fame and fortune

but the price was his freedom

SYNOPSIS:

COPS, ROBBERS, A FOLK HERO’S DREAMS A WILD LAWLESS ACTION ADVENTURE….ARE YOU READY FOR THE WHISKEY ROBBER? Set in the early post-Communist 1990s era, “The Whiskey Robber” follows the true story of Attila Ambrus, Hungary’s most successful bank robber ever. The movie opens in the early 1990s with ATTILA, handsome and erudite, along with his friend, BARTOLI, a street brawler, both dressed in Special Forces Police uniforms, as they prepare to rob a bank. We quickly learn that Attila is urbane, polite to a fault and an unabashed ladies’ man. The robbers are quick and efficient. In fact, most of the bank staff are happy to see Attila again as this is his third time robbing this very bank. But suddenly there’s a problem. It seems that lately the bank has installed a silent alarm. Attila and Bartoli find themselves holed up with half of Budapest’s police department outside. Thinking quickly, Attila comes up with an audacious escape plan that rapidly develops into a massive motorcycle chase through the city. Attila and Bartoli escape to a local hockey rink. Where we see they’re both players on a professional team. Most of the guys on the team have day jobs as cops, and the two uniforms the robbers wore were actually taken from two unwitting teammates’ lockers. We learn that Attila is a popular spend-thrift with the guys, known for his high-living and gorgeous female acquaintances. Meanwhile, back at the robbery site, we meet Lieutenant KRISTOF, a young special agent, representative of Hungary’s new-era. He’s sharp, intuitive, versed in all the modern police methods, foreign trained and, unfortunately, always wrong about Attila. Based on eyewitness accounts, he has drawn a profile of Attila as an aristocratic ne’er-do-well only out for kicks and adventure. Through a quick flashback and some ensuing scenes we quickly learn how wrong Kristof is. Attila’s an ethnic Hungarian raised in the Romanian province of Transylvania. He’s an economic refugee, who flees the oppressive poverty of Romania at great risk and peril. Coming from a farm village and an abusive father, Attila is actually a country person, not a rich aristocrat. After a few miserable and fruitless months in Budapest, a struggling Attila winds up at his aged AUNT JOLIKA’S apartment. Jolika is an etiquette teacher who immediately begins schooling her nephew in all the finer points of society, including how to play piano. Attila is a quick learner. Some time goes by. Hungary begins shedding its Stalinist overcoat and reaches toward the West. Budapest begins changing, acquiring colour and life. Attila, however, is stuck in a rut. He works as either a day labourer or as a janitor in the hockey rink where he’s also on the team, albeit the worst player. The one bright light is his girlfriend SONIA who owns a wig and costume shop. One night, Attila’s hustled in a pool game by a local gangster. The man wants his money and he wants it soon. With no way to pay, Attila comes up with a plan to use some of Sonia’s disguises (without her knowledge, of course) and a borrowed gun (from the locker of one of his cop teammates) and rob a bank. The bank he chooses to rob is the same one from the opening scene. It is a few years earlier though, and there’s no silent alarm yet. Attila needs a few drinks to bolster himself and when he admits this to the tellers, they instantly brand him the Whiskey Robber, a name which sticks. The robbery is a success, Attila’s flush with money and a new life opens up to him. Money buys popularity, it seems. Couple this with his already good looks and newly acquired urbanity (compliments of Aunt Jolika) and Attila’s become a major player in the night-life/International party scene. Of course, the money from the first job only goes so far. Attila begins regularly robbing banks. His garish disguises, polite manner and trademark quirk of bringing a bottle of Whiskey for the tellers to toast with all make him a popular folk hero. The news media adore him and kids want to be him. His fame as a hockey player pales in comparison to his fame as a bank robber. Of course, no else one knows about his latter occupation. Kristof’s still on Attila’s tail. Attila, flush with cash, decides to take a break from his life and, after burning his relationship with Sonia by getting caught with another woman, he heads back to his village in Romania for some R&R. Here, Attila hooks up with his old girlfriend JUDITH. After a few weeks of romance, Attila realizes it’s time to get back to Budapest and back to his life. But he also realizes he’s in love with Judith. He asks her to come back with him. At first she says “yes” but when the time to leave comes, Judith decides to stay in Romania. Attila heads home to Hungary with a heavy heart. Back in Budapest, Attila’s teammate and friend, Bartoli confronts him. Bartoli’s figured out that Attila’s the Whiskey Robber. He wants in. Attila says “no” but Bartoli insists. With no other option, Attila relents and allows him to come along on a job. Bartoli’s first job is the robbery from the opening scene with the huge motorcycle chase. He’s so jazzed by the action he wants to immediately hit another bank. But Attila’s had enough. He’s going to retire. Bartoli is furious. He’s just started, he complains. Attila and he fight and Bartoli storms out. But Kristof has figured out that the Whiskey Robber’s new partner is a local hood. It’s fairly simple to find Bartoli since he is spending money like it’s going out of style. The cops tail him and when he tries to rob another bank, they catch him in the act. The old school cops beat Attila’s name out of him. Meanwhile, Attila has heard of Bartoli’s capture and tries to flee the country. He’s caught at the border and taken to jail. Attila’s a celebrity there. The guards line up for autographs. But Attila is being transferred to prison soon. Using the most basic of methods, right out of an old movie, Attila manages to escape from the jail. It’s something no one’s ever succeeded in doing before. Free on the street, Attila soon learns that a celebrity cannot avoid the cops so easily. After a few near misses, Attila goes deep underground and back to his roots as an itinerant labourer. But he has had too much of the good life to remain so for long. He soon gets frustrated and tries to resume his old career. But it’s no good. Times have changed and his anonymity is completely blown. After only one attempted robbery, he is chased back to his hideout where Kristof’s special units capture him. Attila is sent to prison. He learns to make pottery and becomes quite good at it. On his release - present day – he has set up a shop where he sells his much sought after pots. Attila has become famous again.