Search - WHISKY (2004)(Sub) on DVD

Uruguayan Gem

Chip Cervantes | Nashville, TN USA | 05/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A quietly powerful and touching film. Aside from giving North American viewers a rare and fascinating glimpse of a country (Uruguay) that has for so long languished in the shadow of bigger neighbors Argentina and Brazil, Whisky delivers an antidote to the photogenic violence and exoticized romance that in recent decades have tended to dominate both international distribution of Latin American cinema and (perhaps as a consequence) the North's perception of the region. At the same time, this impeccably acted and directed film offers a timely but low-key critique of the effects of the global economy on the kind of marginally poor--but not destitute or violent--people that comprise the majority of Latin America's inhabitants. The film does so without caving in to the demands of the market, which explains its slow pace and also its failure get nominated for an Oscar--a nomination it most certainly deserved."

A tour de force through the Uruguayan world.

Victor Ruano | NYC, United States | 08/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Juan Pablo Rebella, the director of this movie, committed suicide on July 5th 2006, a couple of months after the big hit in Cannes. It seems to me, this movie was really his opera prima and terminal film at the same time. Extraordinary lethargic piece of art. Honest and simple, the two hardest thing to do in filmmaking. I only wish we could have enjoyed more of his work and talent. Descansa en Paz amigo Rebella."

Whisky

John Farr | 07/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This subtle Uruguayan gem gives new meaning to the term "deadpan comedy", but its nuanced humor, mixed with some very real human drama, makes a refreshing antidote to all the obvious, strained comedies which constantly inundate us. All three lead performances are blisteringly honest: the trio play off each other like seasoned Philharmonic musicians. A poignant, understated slice of life from directors Rebella and Stoll."

A Brother

Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 01/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Whisky" (sic)

A Brother

Amos Lassen

In Uruguay the word "whisky" is used by photographers the way they use the word "cheese" in America. And the movie "Whisky" is delightful.
Jacobo Koller is a lonely man. He is middle-aged, owns a sock factory in Montevideo that is failing and he is single. Marta who works for him as a supervisor at the factory is also lonely and also not married. Both of their lives are boring and they both face the same daily routines. When Jacobo's mother died, his younger brother, Herman, who has been living in Brazil, comes to Uruguay to live with him. The two brothers were not friendly in the past and, in fact, resented each other. Unlike Jacobo who is steeped in rigidity and lack of ambition, Herman possesses the ability to enjoy life even in the worst of circumstances. Jacobo asks Marta to pretend to be his wife for a few days so that he will not have to face his brother alone. Marta agrees and her life will change because of this.
What makes this movie so enjoyable is its subtlety and the movie is funny. It succeeds as an allegory on the state of affairs in today's Uruguay. Not so long ago Uruguay had a thriving economy but like Jacobo it has fallen on hard times while its Latin American neighbors such as Argentina and Brazil have improved greatly in terms of economics.
The actors are wonderful and the plot is smart. I love the fact that the Jewish custom of dedicating the tombstone to the mother, the "matzeivah" is included because it adds another dimension to the film bringing in the difference of religion in a country where Jews are truly a minority. The detail of the film is amazing and the way that the character of Jacobo is treated is genius. He has a total lack of ambition and we feel sorry for him because he appears to be harmless, unaggressive and helpless. However, as the film moves forward, we see how that stubbornness may be just stupidity and his indifference is powerful fuel for both fascism and sexism and how resentment can become inflexibility and shortsightedness can become blindness while conformity turns into slow death. His own life is paralyzed by not moving forward from the past.
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