Another Round

◊ ◊ ◊ ½

The Danish name for this film is “Druk,” which (according to Google translate) means “binge drinking.” That would be a slightly more apt title as it gets to the heart of what this film is about. Four school teachers, who are all to varying degrees past middle age, decide to test a theory that human beings are at our best with .05% alcohol in our bodies. As the Danish name implies, that limit gets pushed and pushed, and these men become varying levels of more or less functional. Tonally, the film starts out as a comedy; nor a rip-roaring, over-the-top American comedy, but a comedy none-the-less. It ends as something different. With a final tone that is part winsome, part hopeful, part tragic, still a bit comedic, and a whole host of other things, it’s hard for me to know exactly what to call this film. And, I must admit, my perception is very much shaped by my American upbringing and my American view of alcohol, which I suspect most Danes might see as puritanical. This films seems to be mostly a glorification of constant drunkenness. It appears to suggest that alcohol is the solution to everything. Middle-life crisis? Try alcohol! Lost your passion for work? Try alcohol! Lack confidence? Try alcohol! Have test anxiety? Try alcohol! Your marriage falling apart? Try alcohol! You want to meet women? Try alcohol! I could go on and on. Though there is a cautionary note struck about the potential dangers of alcohol abuse, it is so outweighed by the rest of the film. And the exuberant final scene seems to tell us constant alcohol use is worth the price you pay. That isn’t to say the film is without its charms. Mads Mikkelsen (“Doctor Strange,” “Casino Royale”) is one of the best actors out there, and he doesn’t nearly get the attention he deserves; just watch his brilliant turn as Hannibal Lecter in the tv show “Hannibal” (one could argue that he is better than… gasp… Anthony Hopkins). I support any film that raises his profile, and he is fantastic here. He somehow manages to look perpetually drunk, down to the glassy bloodshot eyes. So, either he was drunk on set (in which case, brilliant for remembers his lines) or he is a genius for playing drunk so well. Also, the film is fairly fun and light for most of its 1:57 run time, entering a dark period in it’s second half, but returning to the lightness at the end. I would love to know how Danes react to this movie. Is it pure fun? A dark comedy? Absurdism? Or is it poignant, and asking difficult questions? For me, it was just a bid strange, because I felt at odds with what the message seemed to be. But, watch the film, and judge for yourself. If nothing, I think it would spark interesting conversation within a group of friends. Over a few drinks…