As a 50-something man who worked in television for thirty-odd years, I wondered what all the fuss was about. So these gents have only just discovered what we've all known for aeons - a modicum of alcohol, administered responsibly and frequently enhances cerebral efficiency. No S**t Sherlock... Well, in this case these Danish teachers decide that their careers - and lives in general - are in need of a little pepping up, so they embark on an ostensibly "scientific" programme to measure enhanced (?) performance against increased blood alcohol levels. What ensues is a thoroughly enjoyable watch with a truly on-form Mads Mikkelsen and his colleagues pushing their new found challenge to the limits - challenging and compromising just about every relationship - both personal and professional - in their search for an improved life/career. As with most successful drama, the effects of their frankly reckless behaviour are exaggerated from time to time and the underlying dangers of their new-found philiopsphy are not ignored (well, not entirely, anyway) but this is essentially a feel good film that does touch on the effects of alcoholism and of addiction more generally, but is still a jolly enjoyable watch that allowed me to (s)wallow in a pre-kale smoothie nostalgia that facilitated a collegiate and collaborative way of working that has now, largely, gone the way of the dodo or zoom. I am certain that many in the medical profession will have many, many good reasons why this film may be irresponsible or guilty of glorifying alcohol, but it worked for me - and I think the last few scenes on the harbour are as joyous a piece of cinema as I've seen in a very long while. Skol!!

“Do you find me boring?”

‘Another Round’, also known as ‘Druk’ in Danish, is an hilarious and thought-provoking movie that deep dives into the themes it presents: Life, youth, friendship, alcoholism, and being loved. Because if things don’t go well for you in life, then give it another shot, if not, then hang yourself up to dry.

The movie is about four close friends who so happen to be teachers at a high school. All four of them have mundane lives, who are stale at their jobs and social life, and are just unhappy with everything. Until one day they decided to get a little tipsy, maintaining a specific blood rate of alcohol in their bodies to be happier and more active in work, but more importantly feel less invisible by being more loose and fun.

Through alcohol, you experience a certain type of happiness that can make you feel bubbly and lively. You laugh the hardest with the people around you. You do or say things that your sober self wouldn’t dare to do. You feel completely fearless. However, once you get addicted to that feeling, it can easily lead you to dangerous territory and things can spiral out of control. That’s this movie in a nutshell.

Mads Mikkelsen, an actor that makes every movie so much better, delivers a fantastic performance that’s a perfect mixture of humour, charm, and gloomy. I was also impressed by Mads drunk acting during the small and big moments that felt believable. The same thing can be said with the supporting actors, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, and Lars Ranthe. I can tell this was a collaborated effort to deliver effective performances.

The movie is worth seeing for the ending alone, as you get to see Mads Mikkelsen dancing and it is incredible to watch.

So yeah, I highly recommend this one, but I also want to recommend another Danish movie called ‘The Hunt’, that came out back in 2012, which is directed by Thomas Vinterberg, the same man who brought us this movie and it also stars Mads Mikkelsen. It’s a heart-breaking movie that has one of the best performances from Mads. It feels overlooked in my opinion. So please check out ‘The Hunt’ and ‘Another Round’.

'Another Round' is good.

The plot is a little predictable and its message ends up being pretty standard, with it very much being the performances that elevate this flick up for me. I found the characters cringey a few times as they act like teenagers rather than fully grown adults around alcohol, though I can appreciate what the film was going for. What wasn't cringe, however, was Mads' dancing - chapeau!

I've watched a lot of Mads Mikkelsen and a fair bit of Thomas Bo Larsen lately and found them to be highly reliable performers and here is thankfully no different, I really enjoyed them as actors throughout this 2020 release. The others merit props too, namely Magnus Millang and Lars Ranthe.

'Another Round' reminds us not to ignore our youthful dreams and encourages us to soar. A supremely charming effort by Thomas Vinterberg, I weep for the inevitable American remake that reunites the cast of 'Old School' or 'Tag' or something.
- Jake Watt

Read Jake's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-another-round-what-a-beautiful-beautiful-ride