Soumajit Nath’s review published on Letterboxd:
98/100
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This crazy version of Mads Mikkelsen teaching his students as a History teacher, struggling with usual midlife crysis, drinking n drinking n drinking tooo much alcohol with his 3 friends and dancing and drinking again...this makes me insist to give this film a definite ANOTHER ROUND!! I watched this film yesterday and revisited this once again and equally enjoyed whole film as much as first, Specially last 5 mins that DANCING MIKKLESEN showing his charisma in Jazz ballet is jzt spectacular. I had waited for this film soo long since I got the news of reunion of MIKKLESEN and VINTERBERG again for a new film. This duo's first film THE HUNT is something unforgettable for me, offcourse takes a place somewhere in my TOP 200 MOVIES. And now this one gonna be my new favourite movie from this year so far.
Alcohol is a depressant and it impairs ability to drive, slows down reaction time and causes to make some risky decisions that one wouldn’t normally take. Alcoholism can kill in many different ways. Bluh bluh bluhh...anyone might have heard several lifetime lessons which says about Alcoholism..don't you? But I guess there r not many who can really heard about some theory of some Norwegian philosopher guy named Finn Skårdreud...his theory says that humans should be born with a small amount (0.05%) of alcohol in their blood. So if one can maintain the level of alcohol in his/her blood so it might help them for gaining little bit more excitement and little bit more self confidence. That's the thing based on which main plot of ANOTHER ROUND (DRUK) revolves around. Here in the basis of this hypothesis to check the effectiveness of this theory four high school teachers decide to get drunk in their working time to get more refreshment and encouragement in their working places. What happens next? That's not too tough to guess! But this journey of unknown putting themselves down in to a new addiction that might help those 4 guys to strengthen their confidence, to make them feel a little tipsy n makes a new way to look everything in a different perspective but it somehow broaden another path of escaping from problems and avoiding the people, they love.
Thou film shows the lives of 4 people who tries something new to boost their life style. But it's main concern or centre character is always Martin(Role played by Mads Mikkelsen). In case of other 3 people starting or maintaining Alcoholism for making their lives more better looks like or feels like optional may be becus their respective problems what they usually faced in their daily routine those hadn't be clearly shown in the film. But in case of Martin every little problems of him is palpably developed like he felt depressed in home he hasn't any fruitful relationship either with his wife or with his sons. In school he got complaints against himself for his unworthy, unwillingness in teaching in his expertise subject. So he might need something special what boost up his energy, what gives him a necessary confidence!! And we feel this how desperately he need some alternate way to step up again in his life. Focusing only central character in first act: One can see this as a negative point about the film, but I've specially no problem on this. Most portion of this film only shows the friendship, brotherhood of these 4 teachers.. so why should it be problem that if some earlier portion follows the general routine of our lead character?
The way Vinterberg handles alcoholism in this film and by using it how he tells a story of life, relationships, friendship, success, failure and addiction that approach, I haven't really seen before..it's really appreciable how he uses a very simple hypothesis about alcoholism to show the pleasure, positiveness, energy that one get from consuming alcohol and at the same time he shows the dredful side effects of alcoholism-- the sorrow, more depression, more distance from those people whom one love most. Atfirst when those 4 teachers used to consume some maintained level of alcohol then everything goes normal, easygoing for everyone. Martin and his 3 colleagues (Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, & Lars Ranth) find similar success, at least at first. Their performances as teachers are definitely improved infront of their students. But THE MORE YOU GET MORE YOU WANT thing happens here. According to one of these 4 guys, Nikolaj, there's an ignition point, after 7-10 units of consumption "you either get tired and go home or you get a restless mouth". More time passes more they starts to get themselves addict more.
“Another Round” reaches Another Level when it becomes a study in individuality. The consequences what they got for their same addiction is quite different for everyone. One gets a definite lesson but may be little bit inspired from his experience so that he suggest one of his truly anxiety driven student to consume some little alcohol to deminish his anxiusness before exam, one got teribble consequences of alcoholism so that he ends up by dying, another one gives a second chance to enjoy with his family again and our Mad's Martin got a uncertain future where he may or may not be to amalgamate his fragile relation with his wife in near future. Offcourse their is extreme happiness, offcourse there is a source of never ending joy, offcourse there is a weapon to separate ones from their extreme glomminess. But can it has that power to solve one's problem of life? One must has to solve their own issues by their own. Escaping from reality isn't any way really. Otherwise as Alcoholism gives one extreme happiness in the same way it can also feels someone heartrending sorrow, the darkest version of depression. For that reason though it's obvius the surrounding of the film is always filled with happiness, friendship, bromance between 4 middle aged school teachers but at the same time we can feel the glomminess that is surrounded those 4 people even on that very moments when they have enjoyed their respective drinks. It's not any type of propaganda film which tells against Alcoholism or in favour with alcoholism. Moreover it shows the atmost reality in most realistic way. That's why it feels to much authentic. The messages, the themes and every serious sensitive issuse regarding alcoholism all are handled in the plot by maintaining total subtlety.
It's no doubt that acting department is most effective part of this film. I'm a fan of Mads Mikkelsen, so doesn't have anything new to tell about him, 'cus he's the BEST! But I offcourse wanna tell about those last 5 mins, reason I don't know he's a pretty good dancer too. Those dance moves with fabulous sound track WHAT A LIFE in background and extremely impressive cinematography insist me to check those last five mins may be over 5 times..that's make me feel real high boozed uppppp. Really desperately wanna check this again at some day soon. I'm not sure if it impressd me in that extent as THE HUNT did but it's for sure that it's the most favourite of 2020 for me so far!
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