Another Round

As a 50-something man who worked in television for thirty-odd years, I wondered what all the fuss was about. So these gents have only just discovered what we've all known for aeons - a modicum of alcohol, administered responsibly and frequently enhances cerebral efficiency. No St Sherlock... Well, in this case these Danish teachers decide that their careers - and lives in general - are in need of a little pepping up, so they embark on an ostensibly "scientific" programme to measure enhanced (?) performance against increased blood alcohol levels. What ensues is a thoroughly enjoyable watch with a truly on-form Mads Mikkelsen and his colleagues pushing their new found challenge to the limits - challenging and compromising just about every relationship - both personal and professional - in their search for an improved life/career. As with most successful drama, the effects of their frankly reckless behaviour are exaggerated from time to time and the underlying dangers of their new-found philiopsphy are not ignored (well, not entirely, anyway) but this is essentially a feel good film that does touch on the effects of alcoholism and of addiction more generally, but is still a jolly enjoyable watch that allowed me to (s)wallow in a pre-kale smoothie nostalgia that facilitated a collegiate and collaborative way of working that has now, largely, gone the way of the dodo or zoom. I am certain that many in the medical profession will have many, many good reasons why this film may be irresponsible or guilty of glorifying alcohol, but it worked for me - and I think the last few scenes on the harbour are as joyous a piece of cinema as I've seen in a very long while. Skol!!

'Another Round' is good. The plot is a little predictable and its message ends up being pretty standard, with it very much being the performances that elevate this flick up for me. I found the characters cringey a few times as they act like teenagers rather than fully grown adults around alcohol, though I can appreciate what the film was going for. What wasn't cringe, however, was Mads' dancing - chapeau! I've watched a lot of Mads Mikkelsen and a fair bit of Thomas Bo Larsen lately and found them to be highly reliable performers and here is thankfully no different, I really enjoyed them as actors throughout this 2020 release. The others merit props too, namely Magnus Millang and Lars Ranthe.