Druk aka Another Round [dir. Thomas Vinterberg]

 

Recently I saw Another Round, the new Mads Mikkelsen - Thomas Vinterberg feature that made big international waves, including the Academy award for Best International Feature Film.

The original Danish title Druk literally translates (according to Google) as Binge Drinking, which is a little closer to the film's theme. Mikkelsen is facing severe midlife crisis as both a boring teacher and a boring husband, deeply dissatisfied with life. At a sit-down dinner with bunch of long-time colleagues, they decide to try out a controversial theory (proposed by psychotherapist Finn Skårderud) about the possible beneficial effects of maintaining a 0.05% blood alcohol content (BAC) by drinking through the day. In several countries this is near or above the legal limit for driving.

They set up the rules (no drinking after 8 or on weekends) and go at it, and begin to see the impact on their personalities and lives. Mikkelsen becomes a more involved and engaging teacher. His home life improves too, the wife finding in him once again the man she loved a long time ago. Some of his colleagues also see improvements, although the gym teacher starts to unravel a bit. They then decide to up the game, trying to find their individual performance limits, and that's when things start to go balls up.

Another Round walks a fine line between celebrating drinking and warning about its ill effects. To be sure, Mikkelsen and his colleagues do founder (and there is one tragic death), but that's when they elect to break their initial limit, which had been providing them with life improvements. I guess beyond a certain point what the film is saying is, do whatever it takes to get out of a rut, and find ways to relax when you're stressed...and have a few drinks if you want without guilt-tripping.

The hype is a little overrated. It's a very man's club kind of movie with the script directions more manipulated than organic. Also, at least from my perspective in a country where alcohol is hugely taxed and expensive, it seems a bit classist - I don't know what teachers in Denmark earn, but these are privileged people who seem to afford natty tasting course dinners and expensive fun drinks, without their wives cottoning on to the liquor bills. But it's a film that avoids moralizing about drinking and is made in a relaxing and thoughtful way. The performances are uniformly excellent, led by Mikkelsen expressing accessible charm and aching vulnerability in turn. Incidentally, one of his kids in the film was supposed to be played by Thomas Vinterberg's daughter, but she died in a car crash shortly after filming had started (DUI? That would have been ironic), and the film is dedicated to her.