Another Round

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe, Maria Bonnevie, Susse Wold
Directed by: Thomas Vinterberg
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Four high school teachers decide to try an experiment where they keep their blood alcohol count raised at all times.

Review:

Tim: The Danish film, Another Round is an especially strong piece of filmmaking from director Thomas Vinterberg. It won the Academy Award for Best International Feature and Vinterberg was nominated for Best Director. This is a strong piece of filmmaking and it's a movie I'd highly recommend.

The premise is simple but it has great depth to it. Four high school teachers decide to test out a theory that humans were born with a slightly lower alcohol count in the blood than is needed. That with just a bit more alcohol in the blood (at all times), people would be more creative, more social, more who they were meant to be. There's a certain appeal to this idea- that we're just a bit off, a bit incomplete. And, as for so many things in life, alcohol claims to be the answer. So, these four teachers decide to test this theory. No surprise, it's a terrible idea. However, the journey they go on is a fascinating one. At first, they see only the benefits of such an enterprise. It really makes you think- if I was just slightly drunk, how much better would work be? Or sitting through meetings? Doing errands? Spending time with the family? There's something appealing about the idea of living in a slightly blurry world, a world where your fears and concerns have been blunted, rounded out. It's an intoxicating (I know, I know) premise.

The brilliance of Vinterberg's film (which he also wrote) is the slow burn of how this experiment impacts each of these men. The film might be about being drunk all the time, but that's just a conduit for this character study about what holds us back from being happy in our lives, what prevents us from being better versions of ourselves. There's real depth here to explore these characters in detail. The fascinating thing is that the deeper we dive into these characters, the more we examine our own lives. This is a film that causes reflection. The movie is also a larger commentary on the role alcohol plays in our society as well. I read that Denmark has some of the highest rates of teenage drinking in the world. It's part of the history and the culture. This movie is very much a meditation on the role alcohol plays in society and it makes you think about the role alcohol has played in your own life, too.

Now, while Vinterberg deserves heaps of praise for what he did here, you also have to shine a light on Madds Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen is one of the great actors in the world, I truly believe this. I hope the next five or so years furthers that belief among average movie viewers. It's impossible not to love what he does in this film. The transformation his character goes through is remarkable and Mikkelsen sells all these different emotions. In the beginning of the film, he's stoic, repressed. There's a few moments where his underlying emotions break through and Mikkelsen is fantastic in those moments. Contrast these early scenes with the unforgettable conclusion. Mikkelsen shines in that final scene- I couldn't stop smiling. I can see myself revisiting that final scene just to feel happier for a few moments. This is a consistently great performance from beginning to end from Mikkelsen.

I really loved the performance of Magnus Millang, too. He feels just instantly relatable. I really felt like I'd seen him numerous times before, but nope, this was my first time seeing him. Millang felt so familiar, you are just immediately at ease with him as an actor. I really enjoyed the work he did here. Now, I liked the performances of Lars Ranthe and Thomas Bo Larsen, but this is one of the issues I had with the film. I think the story would have been significantly better had it focused on three men, instead of four. Ranthe and Larsen both have their strong moments, but it feels like they were somewhat shortchanged. I think one of them was unnecessary. The movie would have been stronger if it had focused more time on the other three. We could always get more screen time with Mikkelsen and Millang needed more time, too. Ranthe and Larsen were both really good, but both of their presence means that we're pulled in too many different directions. While I liked all these characters, I didn't really love any of them. I wasn't quite as invested in their story as I needed to be. I think this was a function of not getting enough time with them. So, Ranthe and Larsen were both good, but I didn't love their performances the same way as I did Mikkelsen and Millang. This one change would have perhaps pushed the film into greatness (in my opinion, obviously).

Another Round is an enjoyable movie that entertains and makes you think. It does drag in a few places, but overall, it's an uplifting, memorable film. Vinterberg did a really good job directing it and pulling something beautiful out of a personal tragedy that marred the start of filming. This is a really strong film and I'm glad it won Best International Feature.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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