Another Round Movie Review

 Courtney Ceccarini

Q News

A drink to take the edge off is a controversial phrase used to describe the consumption of alcohol as a way to destress. A phrase director, Thomas Vinterberg, explores in the 2020 Danish film, Another Round.

Another Round follows Martin (Mads Mikkelson), a high school history teacher experiencing issues in his personal and professional life and his three colleagues, Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), Nikolaj (Magnus Millang) and Peter (Lars Ranthe), as they embark on an experiment based on the Norwegian psychiatrist, Finn Skårderud’s, hypothesis testing the correlation between alcohol and a better quality of life. 

During the experience the men are required to keep their BAC at or above a 0.05% during workdays due to the theory that humans are born with a BAC 0.05% too low.

At first, the experiment goes exactly as planned, the men all experience a more euphoric way of life. Their teaching style becomes more engaging and they are all around in a state of bliss that improves their social life.

One example of this engaging classroom banter is in the scene where Martin asks his class to compare General Grant, Ernest Hemingway and "good old" Winston Churchill to themselves. His new approach to teaching creates a sense of interactiveness

within the students. He makes a joke that all three of them and his students, "drink like pigs." He goes on to talk about their drinking habits and asks them to disclose how many drinks a week they consume. 

Throughout the film, with the assistance of humor, we see the true effects consecutive alcohol consumption can have on a person.

From high energy dancing and a child like approach to life when at the highs.

One of the most iconic scenes within the movie happens when Martin is dancing to What a Life. Not only is the song symbolic to what the movie portrays the dancing shows just how carefree and child-like the alcohol consumption effects can have.

It came out after filming that Mikkelsen did not like this scene during his look at the script. He found it dumb and unnecessary. After filming and having the full production put together, he took back his opinions on the scene and was happy it made it in.

Throughout the film, we are exposed to the unavoidable lows and the side effects of drinking excessive amounts. 

From the tragic results of addiction and episodes of depression, the film does a great job showing all of these sides and gives enough warning to alert people to proceed with caution if you feel inclined to participate in this experiment yourself.  

Overall, this, Oscar winning, film is worth sitting down and watching. While you might feel as though a glass of wine would be a good companion to watch it with, by the end you may be putting it down, because, sometimes drinking can take a lot more than the edge off.

[Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Writer: Thomas Vinterberg, Tobias Lindholm

Length: 117 minutes

Actors: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe

Genre: Comedy/Thriller

Release Date: 2020]