Another Round begins with teenagers running around a lake. The race is all about drinking beer rather than fitness. It sets the stage for this film’s examination of the drinking culture, the tightrope act it entails to navigate it, and the role of alcohol in Danish society.
It stars Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt, Hannibal TV series) as Martin, a burned-out high school teacher in Copenhagen. He can’t motivate his students, they think he’s boring, and his wife does, too. At a birthday party for a co-worker he learns that his three teacher buddies are also experiencing failure and disconnection. They discuss the theory of Norwegian psychiatrist, Finn Skarderud, that humans are born with too low a blood alcohol level; 0.05% is the ideal state for relaxation and creativity (he and his theory are really a thing). They decide to give it a go and establish some rules; maintain 0.05 throughout the day, and borrowing a maxim from Hemingway, no drinking after 8:00 p.m. Soon, all four find their work and lives more enjoyable and rewarding. Their students are engaged in history, singing in tune, scoring goals in soccer, and confiding in them as mentors. Martin is “all fired up and laid back at the same time.” Then the inevitable and fateful happens; the 0.05 level is exceeded, at first just a little, then before long by 2-3 times. The benefits of lower level drinking are quickly overtaken by the consequences of binge drinking on their personal and professional lives.
There is no legal age requirement for drinking in Denmark, although there are restrictions on purchasing alcohol – 16 for beer, 18 for the hard stuff. Teenage drinking is legal, public, visible, and part of society. Some of the casual discussions and interactions between students and teachers regarding alcohol will be shocking for Americans. It’s another world from the “must be 21” (at least on paper) in the U.S. Is it better to have no age requirement and very permissive rules for drinking? It would seem to do away with raiding the parents’ liquor cabinet, asking someone outside a liquor store to buy you beer, and the fake ID. Or does open, permitted access to alcohol encourage drinking, particularly at an early age, and possibly downplay the associated risks. I’m sure there have been many studies and comparisons of alcohol regulations and their impacts on society. The movie takes place in the sea of this enigma.
Another Round won the Best International Film at the 2021 Academy Awards. The director, Thomas Vinterberg, provided the emotional moment of the Oscars when accepting the award. He described how his daughter was cast as Martin’s daughter and just a few days after filming began was killed in a car accident. The film was dedicated to her and partially filmed in her classrooms with her classmates.
Another Round is intriguing, funny and tragic. The 0.05 experiment wasn’t sustainable and damaged the lives of the four friends. After that realization, the movie has seemingly hit a dead end. An uplifting ending returns to a past life for Martin and provides some hope for his future, however uncertain it may be.
And FYI, it’s just been announced than an American remake is in the works brought to you by Leonardo DiCaprio. Why? I’ll probably watch it (who doesn’t like Leo?), but for some historical reference, the original versions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, La Femme Nikita, and Force Majeure should have been left alone.
D² Rating ◼◼◼☐☐
Trivia ? – In what James Bond movie did Mads Mikkelsen play the main bad guy Le Chiffre?
Answer: Casino Royale