Michael Cox’s review published on Letterboxd:
"Yes. [The philosopher's] claim is that when you have a .05% BAC, you're more relaxed - and poised - and musical and open. More courageous in general. - Nikolaj
See where it ranks among my Top Films of 2020 and click here!
The 5 Star Club
Wow. My second Thomas Vinterberg film and he doesn't disappoint! It's great to see that Mikkelsen, Larsen, and Ranthe are all back too!
Another Round is a film about a group of four friends engaging in a social experiment of drinking alcohol in hopes of improving their lives. The thing that I really love about the film is that it doesn't take sides. It doesn't solely focus on the positive effects while negating the negative effects nor is it a cautionary tale about the dangers of alcoholism. It shows both the highs and lows of alcohol consumption. However, it is also a study of addiction and the things that can cause someone to succumb to such tendencies.
The soundtrack is outstanding with the use of classical music hypnotizing both me and the characters on screen. Usually, a pop song would feel out of place, instead, it enhanced the scene and that scene being the best scene I've seen all year. The last 10 minutes of the film lived up to the hype, as Siegel put it in his review, as it was both cathartic and powerfully haunting. The cinematography is outstanding as Vinterberg's style of close-ups and "slight" shaky cam allows us to feel everything these characters are feeling. Heck, it's so good in fact, that it nearly made me want to start drinking.
Maria Bonnevie (Trine), Magnus Millang (Nikolaj), Lars Ranthe (Peter), and Thomas Bo Larsen (Tommy) were all really great. Mads Mikkelsen (Martin) gave one of the best, if not the best, performance(s) of the year. It was a vulnerable, lonely, and exuberant performance while also being cathartic and diffident. Mikkelsen is one of the best working right now.
The one problem I could see people having with this film is that it's a little slow, but I had no problem with it.
This is definitely the best film I've seen from this year so far and I implore you to check it out as soon as possible. It's in virtual cinemas right now and coming to VOD on the 18th!
5/5
