good back-story, and good acting

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This film is a very different take on bank robbery. The proceeds of the robberies are never spent. The romantic interest is something that the central character had not planned on happening. It is a strangely atmospheric film with a neutral obsessive atmosphere. Running and robbing become merged for the central character who has no accomplices. It takes a very unlikable type of person to commit armed robbery. The bizarre way the central character is emotionally stunted and drab is a welcome departure from Hollywood anti-heroes. A good film that is very chilling. The lack of primary colour used in the film adds to the feeling of claustrophobia.The robber appears to be locked into two obsessive behavioural patterns robbing and running. There is no real mention of his past beyond a still photograph. We never know what made this man turn out as he does.

Most fans of Hollywood movies will probably not like this film because it doesn't contain massive explosions or a bombastic soundtrack (in fact it practically has none) but this stunner (based on the story of a real life bank robber) is one of the great thrillers of the decade. A sleek, sparse study of existentialism, THE ROBBER is a must see.It begins rather abruptly, the first scene is a man named Johann (superbly played by Andreas Lust) running in what seems like a training center, but as soon as the camera pans back we realize he is in a prison and is about to be released after serving a 6 year sentence. As the story unfolds Johann is set free where he begins to win marathons but leads a double life as he returns to his old habits of stealing cars and then using them as getaway vehicles for his bank robberies.As with European cinema, much of the pacing and characters are understated, there are times when nobody says anything but from the background noises and the looks on their faces you can clearly tell what they are thinking. Even though the few people he knows (his former girlfriend, his parole officer) deeply cares for him and pulls strings to get him to live a normal life it's clear that he does not want any of it. Johann just wants to rob banks and run because that is all he is. The whole movie takes place in Austria, the land of Heidi and Vienna coffee houses but with the movie being portrayed through Johann's eyes, Austria seems bleak, detached and robotic to make it look almost unbearable to be living in; while there are other characters in the story, they seem to be nothing more than minor twinkles in Johann's eye- he does not care for them and it almost seems like they are ghosts to him.There were some professional critics that lambasted this movie for not revealing Johann's motivation on why he is what he is. But what they don't understand is that it really doesn't matter. Some people do things because it's the one thing (or two in Johann's case) that gives them meaning- everything else is of no consequence. I find the main protagonist/antagonist of this movie to be a combination of Johnny Depp's John Dillinger in PUBLIC ENEMIES and Barry Newman's Kowalski in VANISHING POINT. They exist only to do the one thing that matters to them and that's it.

Another reviewer here wrote that "He never hurt anyone." I guess bashing in the brains of, and murdering in cold blood, someone who cared for him and was actually trying to help him gets a free pass? I would rather state that this psychopath hurt any decent human being that he ever came into contact with.99.9% of the time, I support the "bad guys" over the police in films, but in this film, I could not wait for the Police, or any other dutiful citizen, to put a bullet in this character's head. I have never seen a more evil, less likable, or less sympathetic protagonist, in 40 years of watching films. If the director was aiming to be 'provocative' he achieved that goal in spades. Not at all a bad film, it was wonderfully shot, and I would give it perhaps 3 out of 5 stars. Better than an average film to be sure, but at the same time, it did not really go anywhere. The man and his insane motivations, remain a mystery.

That's the first time I watch an austrian film. And I am amazed by this pretty little thriller inspired by actual events. A flawless masterpiece. The tale of a bank robber released from jail who continues his outlaw activities. A real pro who is also a long time running champ.What an unusual character. The settings, editing, characterization and directing are all perfect. You never lose your attention. The downbeat ending makes me think of THE American. And not only the ending...And there are some sequences that also make you think of POINT BREAK.Don't miss it.