Director Thomas Vinterberg
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang & Lars Ranthe
Rated M
Score 5/6

In Australian Cinemas February 11

Four friends, all high school teachers, test a theory that they will improve their lives by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood.

Apparently, Another Round’s original title Druk, means “drinking” or “boozing” in Danish. For those of you who are interested Another Round has been nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th annual Golden Globe awards it has also made the short list for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.

A theory of Norwegian psychiatrist & psychotherapist Finn Skårderud that when humans are born they have a blood alcohol level 0.05 per cent too low is the theory being explored in the movie and I can see that there is some merit to the concept especially if you can get that little voice in the back of your head to shut up for a while. If it is actually a good idea to silence that little voice in the back your head with alcohol well that is an entirely different matter. I was a little surprised to see how frank the Danish are with their attitudes towards alcohol. On a slight side note the lake race at the beginning of the movie was that ran over a mile or more commonly known as a ‘Beer Mile’?

For those of you who need the warning Another Round has subtitles. Hearing that this was comedy left me wondering if some of the jokes got lost in translation. This is always a risk when you are watching a comedy in another language. A more appropriate way to describe Another Round is as tragicomedy because the movie does get little depressing in the third act, but it does not cross the line and ruin your entire day, though it comes close, but it manages to stick the landing with an enjoyable and hopefully unforgettable dance routine featuring Mads Mikkelsen which was a great way to showcase the message of the movie.
I really was not that familiar with anybody involved with Another Round except for Mads Mikkelsen. After looking at his filmography it turns out that I have watched more movies featuring Mikkelsen then I realised. I am sure that there are more than a few people out there who might identify with either Mikkelsen’s performance as Martin or Magnus Millang’s performance as Nikolaj. Two men who by circumstance found their lives stuck in a rut and needed something to help them get out of it. It is interesting to note that Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe, Helene Reingaard Neumann and Susse Wold have all worked on other movies directed by Thomas Vinterberg before.