Vinterberg's charming and slightly sad film Another Round explores the melancholy of aging in Western cultures which celebrate the vibrancy of youth, as well as our love of alcohol and what it brings to us... and what it takes from us. The film quite nicely manages to balance humour with sorrow telling a story that isn't what we think it might be. We're used to seeing films about alcoholics, but that's what what this is. This is about a more universal relationship between our culture and alcohol.
I found the ease with which alcohol was present quite interesting, especially in comparison with how other drugs are treated culturally and with films. Another Round shows us just how easy it is to integrate drinking into our day to day routine, even when this isn't a story about addiction or alcoholism. Instead it is about our cultural dependency on this very specific drug, a drug we have laced into our everyday activities. The film isn't a condemnation but explores what alcohol can bring positively as well as what it might steal from us. The film isn't about "hitting bottom," it is a far more nuanced and complicated look at our relationship with alcohol.
At the centre of all this is a strong yet understated performance by Mads Mikkelsen who never plays "drunk" but manages to very convincingly portray a desolate man who reaching for joy and vibrancy through drinking, often succeeding while also crashing and burning. Again the contrast with the typical alcoholism story with this makes this take refreshing and fascinating in ways we haven't seen before.
And as the film reaches its rather ambiguous conclusion it forces us to reflect on the ways our culture makes us rely on alcohol, the ways we embrace it, and the ways it costs us.
Another Round
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Writers: Tobias Lindholm, Thomas Vinterberg
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