(Foreign language film - Danish)

Being buzzed on alcohol feels great ... so why not get buzzed all the time? 🍻 🥂

"Are we or are we not alcoholics? .... We're not alcoholics. We decide when we want to drink. An alcoholic can't help himself."

So I am the kind of guy that likes to drink often, but as a result of dieting over the last few months I now only allow myself to drink occasionally. At first it felt odd watching Another Round sober, but by the end I am glad I did. The story follows a group of teachers who find that drinking brings out the best in them so they conduct an experiment where they each try maintaining a 0.05 blood alcohol level. The friends eventually find themselves going overboard and experiencing both the fun and romance of drinking, along with the embarrassment and tragedy of alcoholism. Just after watching the film, I thought the overall message was a bit confused, but later it dawned on me that it makes complete sense.

"So, when you run around totally wasted, throwing up in bushes and alleys, don't feel alone, because you're in great company."

(Quick Hits) ... Spoilers:

- Fun fact: In Danish, the name of the film is Druk which translates to
binge drinking

- Fun fact 2: I spent a weekend in the beautiful city of Copenhagen Denmark during my study abroad, where I learned about the author Hans Christian Andersen who wrote beloved stories like 'The Little Mermaid'

- Mads Mikkelsen is a great actor, but he can also be a really scary looking dude. So it was interesting to see him as the main character in this

- Early on it establishes that Denmark as a country has a culture of drinking which they set up by starting the film by showing a drunken race young people like to take part in. Then this theme of Danish culture continues throughout as we hear the Danish National anthem sung on a couple of occasions, and I recall a character saying that many people in Denmark drink like maniacs

- This was my first Thomas Vinterberg film, and I really enjoyed his use of very beautiful and up close and personal handheld cinematography

- The first part of the film makes being buzzed throughout the day look like the best thing ever, but as time progresses these guys push the limits harder and harder until it starts having a significantly negative impact on their lives

- I liked how you could really see on their faces how tired they were getting from drinking day after day

- I also liked the on-screen text they used to show their blood alcohol level rising, and what they were logging in their experiment journal

- After the low point of the film we return to the positive aspects of drinking where it helps a student relax and pass his exam, along with all the graduates and the guys from the experiment coming together for a celebration with champagne being enjoyed and sprayed everywhere

- Either Mads Mikkelsen is a crazy good dancer, or they did a great job of making it look like he was

- So why would a movie about the dangers of alcoholism end on such a triumphant note with plenty of drinking? IMO it is because the fact of the matter is that as long as you are responsible there is nothing wrong with drinking to have fun and celebrate on occasion. But it is when you become obsessed with it and get carried away, when it becomes harmful

Now being in my 30s and still liking to drink I can definitely relate with the point of view of Another Round. And maybe if younger audiences check it out they will not have to learn some of these lessons the hard way, but I doubt it 😂

Thanks for reading.
Happy movie watching ... Skål 🍻 !