Another Round - Movie Review

Critics Score - 8 of 10

General Audience Score - 7 of 10

Another Round is the second collaboration between Mads Mikkelsen and Director Thomas Vinterberg. The first being the 2012 film nominated for Best International Feature Film, The Hunt, an incredible piece of filmmaking. But does Another Round live up to its’ predecessor?

PROS - Mads Mikkelsen plays Martin, a high school teacher who’s life, work and marriage has become routine and uneventful. A friend suggests the concept of drinking and how it's been able to help people elevate themselves, which sets Martin and the three friends on a journey of self-discovery. Mads delivers a spectacular performance but the entire cast is excellent as they explore the boundaries of drinking on the job. Although the film takes a while to pick up speed, the writing and story deserve a lot of credit here. As we watch Martin explore the benefits that can be derived, we see him also traverse the pitfalls of such a problematic proposition. The film takes some unexpected and interesting turns when the friends start pushing the limits of how much they can handle.

Other than the acting, the music and songs incorporated in the film are done very effectively. There's a final musical sequence that features dancing, it's delightful. The director's vision for this film is evident and I would take a stab at it stemming from personal experiences with alcohol. It's a real predicament when we clearly see students benefitting from teachers using a substance that can and does cause much harm. The film walks the narrow line in-between condemning and condoning alcohol abuse and tries to find a balance that I think it achieves in the end.

CONS - As a foreign language film, there will definitely be some reading to do and that certainly takes away from the overall enjoyment as one tries to watch facial expressions and characters interacting while reading. Some may view that as a strike against the film but it certainly shouldn’t be. There's also a montage in the middle of the film featuring prominent figures acting inebriated that doesn't fit in quite right.

As was mentioned the first act is relatively slow, some may lose interest. And the messages of alcohol and abuse are discussed fairly extensively but the film doesn't seem to condemn it. Some may leave frustrated with the lack of finality from the ending, there's no "right or wrong" stance from the film.

SUMMARY - Although the movie is excellent, it never really provides commentary on alcohol consumption. It simply shows us the consequences of the people partaking and leaves the ultimate decision to the viewer. How much is too much? The watchers can decide for themselves. But this film does give some perspective on each individual's limits for alcohol. One can use that same perspective when drinking to ascertain if they should stop . . . or perhaps order another round.