#264- Another round review

Another Round is a film about Danish drinking culture and a group of four teachers who start a drinking experiment together. The teachers heard of a theory which theorised that if you maintained an alcohol intoxication level of 0,5 it would improve your overall life. This honest and brutal depiction of alcoholism tells it from a different side where you see the fun and happy moments as well as the chaos and upset that follows. The drinking culture of the Danish seems similar to ourselves in Ireland in the sense it seems out of control.

We follow Martin played by Mads Mikkelsen as a teacher and man who is withdrawn within himself for years. His passion for teaching is gone and he’s concerned he’s become boring. As they start drinking and maintaining that level of intoxication it frees their inhibitions initially and they see an improvement in their lives. As the drinking continues and the level of alcohol consumed is increased we see the negative effects of alcohol swiftly and painfully take effect. Another Round paints a very honest depiction of how alcoholism changes a person’s personality and actions. We see how it has the power to ruin individuals and families. What another round does well is show us the addiction from the users side. I found myself most invested in Martin as he seemed like a good person who had issues he didn’t address and alcohol was a band-aid for his problems. Another Round is a well crafted and powerful film with a strong message but isn’t heavy handed in it’s story telling. I felt that the filmmakers weren’t trying to condemn or glorify alcoholism and just tell a story of four men. I really enjoyed this film and was very invested throughout.