Time for a toast
Movie fans should raise a glass to the boozy new comedy Another Round
Winston Churchill once remarked that he practised moderation by never having a strong drink before breakfast. It's the kind of maxim that would elicit a hearty “skol!” from the characters in Thomas Vinterberg's boozy new comedy, Another Round.
Released in his native Denmark as Druk (roughly, “Binge Drinking”), Another Round is the story of Martin (Mads Mikkelsen), a high school teacher who's middle-aged and feeling it. His life isn't bad, but it isn't especially thrilling either. The jazz ballet classes he took years ago never led anywhere, and his teaching career has plateaued.
It all comes to a head over a birthday dinner with friends. Someone quotes Norwegian philosopher and psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, who claims that humans are born with an alcohol level that is 0.05 per cent too low. The remedy is to get as tipsy as you would on a glass or two of wine, and then maintain that level.
Amazingly, both Skårderud and his theory are real, though roundly debunked. But Martin and his friends (no doubt influenced by the wine they're drinking with their meal) decide to give it a go. To buff this hedonistic experiment with the sheen of science, they type up some notes and vow to examine their lives to see how it's going on both a personal and professional level. (Also, no driving; thank heavens!) They set an 8 p.m. imbibing curfew, apparently modelled after Hemingway, a notorious day drinker. Martin buys a breathalyzer, whose readings we sometimes see on the screen.
It's an awkward premise, but awkwardness is Vinterberg's forte. His last two works as writer-director were 2016's The Commune, about infidelity within a 1970s commune, and 2012's The Hunt, which starred Mikkelsen as a kindergarten teacher falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour with a child.
The trick in this one — and it's one Vinterberg manages nicely — is to show both the upside and the down of moderate drinking.
“You're more relaxed and poised and musical and open and courageous,” one of Martin's mates points out. Another brings up Klaus Heerfordt, a brilliant pianist who could apparently only play well when poised between sobriety and drunkenness.
It also helps that there are four alco-nauts taking this brave journey together, and that some do better than others. Martin may have trouble saying “in-dus-trial-i-za-tion” to his students, but in many ways a little liquid courage makes him a more engaging teacher. It also takes a toll on his home life, however.
There's a fair bit of humour in the mix, as well. One subplot features Sebastian, a student whose anxiety before tests is getting the better of him. His teacher finally suggests: “Ever thought about having a drink before the exam?” It's a horrible idea, but how often have we seen someone in a movie take a swig of something before going into battle? (OK, maybe not scholastic battle, but still.)
And Mikkelsen is a perfect choice for the role. The actor, who turned 55 this year, has a face that seems to settle naturally into a kind of sad resignation, but when he cracks a smile it's hard to imagine that he ever looked anything but happy. And his performance in the final scene — a real cliffhanger that will no doubt annoy those who want a tidy resolution to this tale — is masterful.
It's a moment viewers can discuss afterward over a glass of wine. Just one, please, unless you want to emulate the movie itself. Another Round had its world première at the recent Toronto International Film Festival, where it generated a lot of buzz.