“Another Round” Review
Mads Mikkelsen (Center) stars in “Another Round” as Martin, a schoolteacher who turns to drinking in the midst of a mid-life crisis.
The 93rd Academy Awards have not only elevated the status of American films like “Minari” and “The Sound of Metal” but have done the same for foreign films. “Another Round,” the Danish nominee for Best International Film, is not only one of the best foreign films currently available to American audiences, the film’s currently streaming on Hulu, but is also very deserving of the Academy Award for which it’s nominated.
The film stars Mads Mikkelsen as a history teacher named Martin who feels out of touch with both his job and his family. His three friends, also teachers at the school, (Thomas Bo Larsen, Lars Ranthe and Magnus Millang) are experiencing similar mid-life crises. when one of them, a psychology professor, suggests that they engage in an experiment where all four of them must keep their Blood Alcohol Content level around 0.05% in order to be more engaged and productive, the four go on a path filled with both fun and consequences.
While the film has four men at the center of the story, “Another Round” focuses on Mikkelsen who delivers a career-defining performance. His character feels like a shell of who he used to be and Mikkelsen is able to hide his emotion at the beginning of the film and then slowly become more lively as the experiment continues, eventually spinning out of control and having to piece himself back together.
The premise of “Another Round” seems like a comedy starring four college students in a fraternity, but the film is much more mature in it’s tone, story and message. The story perfectly represents the effects of alcohol, first it’s a fun trip but then it can turn bad. The four men also have a legitimate motivation for these men to be drinking. They are experiencing a midlife crisis and a feeling of uselessness that causes them to turn to the bottle for a bit of energy.
It’s an interesting film to see because, while the film does show the incredibly negative side effects of alcohol, it’s not an anti-liquor film. Unlike health classes in high school which try to scare you from even thinking about looking at alcohol, this film simply shows the consumption and the results which is powerful enough.
Mikkelsen (Left) and director Thomas Vinterberg converse on the set of “Another Round.” Vinterberg dedicated the film to his daughter Ida who was originally supposed to co-star with Mikkelsen before tragically passing away during filming.
“Another Round’s” camerawork is mostly handheld with the film being shot in a documentary-like style. Director Thomas Vinterberg creates a beautifully crafted and mesmerising film. While the scenes featuring dialogue are excellent, it’s the moments where visual storytelling completely dominates that “Another Round” shows its caliber of filmmaking.
The film was originally supposed to star Vinterberg’s daughter as Mikkelsen’s daughter but she tragically passed away in a car accident right as filming began. Not only does this film have the drive of an invested director but it feels even more special knowing that Vinterburg finished the film as a tribute for his daughter (the film is dedicated to her memory).
Unlike most films related to alcoholism, it’s not an especially depressing film. It’s just realistic. It’s filled with both joy and sadness because each of the four men go on a different journey through this crazed experiment. Most of the men don’t completely fall into an abyss and instead find redemption. But not everyone ends up that way.
There are enough films about substance abuse that are non-stop descents into hell so it’s intriguing to see one that depicts both the highs and lows of a drink and actually offers a more uplifting tale. It’s not pure sunshine or pure rain, but the right mixture, resulting in a fantastic film.
