``Another Round'' Sake, tears, and Mads Mikkelsen. Enjoy the clarity of life through great performances

"Another Round" Synopsis

Martin, a high school teacher, and three of his colleagues undertake an outrageous experiment in which they drink a certain amount of alcohol at work and stay intoxicated at all times in order to prove a theory by a Norwegian philosopher. As a result, the lessons, which had previously been a casual affair, become more lively, and relationships with the students become better. Slowly but surely, his co-workers' lives are heading in the right direction, but as the experiment progresses, things start to spiral out of control.

The morning after a drunken night, people often say, "I just ended up drinking too much." However, what percentage of people who say this actually "just ended up" drinking too much? Isn't there actually a reason why they drank too much?

Another Round(2020), starring Mads Mikkelsen, is a tragicomedy that begins with four middle-aged men experimenting with alcohol. This movie teaches us that there is a long way to go before the two letters in "I drank too much."

Index

• The bittersweetness of alcohol and life
• Mads Mikkelsen's silent performance speaks louder than words
• A simple and rich human drama that is both clear and dark.

The bittersweetness of alcohol and life

History teacher Martin (Mads Mikkelsen) leads a fruitless life, receiving complaints from students and parents at the school where he works, and drifting apart at home with his wife and two sons.

One night, Martin attends the birthday party of his friend, psychology teacher Nikolai (Magnus Millan). Also attending are his friends, physical education teacher Tommy(Thomas Bo Larsen) and music teacher Peter (Lars Ranze). At the party, Nikolai talks about his hypothesis that the ideal blood alcohol concentration for humans is 0.05%. By doing so, people become more relaxed, more motivated and more confident, and they live better lives.

That night, after drinking heavily, the four of them immediately began to test their hypothesis. They decided on a rule to drink secretly even during work, and to keep their blood alcohol concentration at 0.05% at all times. The effect was immediate, and Martin's performance in class improved dramatically, and he was able to feel a sense of satisfaction in communicating at home. So the four of them removed the concentration limit and started drinking as they pleased...

"Another Round" Trailer

Speaking of movies about drinking and middle-aged men, many audiences will recall the Todd Phillips-directed " The Hangover " series (2009-2013). However, unlike "The Another Round," which turns every element into laughs, the approach of "Another Round" is to fill the work with the bittersweetness of alcohol and life. It has a bitter, deep, and elegant taste.

The director and screenwriter is Thomas Vinterberg, whose previous film The Hunt (2012) won Mads the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. Tobias Lindholm, who also worked on the screenplay, co-wrote the screenplay, and Thomas Bo Larsen and Lars Ranze, who co-starred with Mads, also return as his friends. The Hunt is a human drama that depicts the lonely struggle of a kindergarten teacher who is falsely accused because of a girl's lie, with an indescribable sense of tension and sadness. Since it is being produced by the same members of the same film, it is clear that the story of "teachers who drank too much" will not be simply depicted in a comical way. Of course there is humor, but the real essence of the film lies in the harsh situations of the characters and the unkind gazes that are cast on them by those around them.

Mads Mikkelsen's silent performance speaks louder than words