On the initial scenes of Another Round, we see a group of young people partying and enjoying themselves with copious amounts of alcohol. Those scenes are sadly not a complete shock, as it might seem unthinkable for a great deal of us to fully enjoy a party without a drink, or two, or five. Set in Denmark, country in which the number of 15 year-old teenagers who consume alcohol almost doubles the European average, Thomas Vinterberg has directed a film that feels personal not only for those viewing it, but also for himself.

The film is centered on a group of friends and high school teachers who decide to start an experiment to check how having a constant level of alcohol in their blood can improve their lives. Initially Vinterberg’s own daughter -Ida- was set to play Mads Mikkelsen’s fictional daughter, however, after her devastating death at the beginning of the shooting of Another Round, Vinterberg decided to alter the final film. He decided to refocus the film to explore alcoholism, its role on modern society and its effects, but also to reinforce the message that drinking is no solution whatsoever, the only thing that matters is being awake in life.

All of that could have been lost in a more superficial film, focused on tropes explored countless times before. However, watching Another Round is evident that it is the work of a director who created -together with Lars Von Trier- the Dogme 95, movement in which a better engagement with the audience was the main target. To achieve this aim, any superficial element, external influences or modifications -such as special effects or external music- that are not part of the scene were eliminated, thus creating a final film that feels natural, raw and that is, by no means, bombarding the audience with an overproduced and artificial style.  

In Another Round this honest approach helps create a feeling of familiarity and, to a further extent, possibly understand -and probably justify to a certain level- the decisions made by the characters. Furthermore, the fact that all the roles are well-drawn instead of mere caricatures or stereotypes, might make it unavoidable to feel concern for them when you feel that a frightening moment in which they take an extra step in their investigation, or the consequences of their actions are starting to take a toll on them.

As the interactions between the group of friends -played by Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang and Lars Ranthe- are the heart and soul of the film, Vinterberg has crafted a film around the main cast in which all of them are fully committed to their roles, playing off of each other in a way that does not feel unrealistic, but human, funny, warm and completely relatable instead. Nevertheless, despite the fact that all of them are remarkable in their roles, we should underline Mads Mikkelsen’s performance, as it is one of the best of his career. 

Great part of the success of Another Round is due to Mikkelsen -reuniting with Vinterberg after the excellent and highly recommendable The Hunt-, who in a beautifully subtle way, uncovers different layers of his character as story progresses and the alcohol level starts to increase. We never doubt the changes experienced by his character, neither when his confidence increases and improves as a teacher, father and husband, nor in the ensuing downfall as the consequences of the experiment start to affect him and the rest of the members of the group.                 

The progression of his character is a beautiful accomplishment to behold as Mikkelsen never fails to deliver an accurate representation of his character. Going from a self-described bore, joyless, unassertive teacher -whose own students feel concerned about his abilities-, to a man facing the consequences of his actions and becoming a person able to live unafraid, everything in his demeanor, from his speech to his body language changes from the beginning to the end. It is at the conclusion of the film when this is especially clear, as Mikkelsen, fully uninhibited, loses himself dancing to the rhythm of the music, portraying a man who has learned, changed and has finally awoken.  

Another Round manages to triumph in dealing with the thorny issue of alcoholism as a source of escapism from the problems inherent of existence. It does so as a result of not being afraid of handling the topic in a straightforward manner. The film never shies away from the exploration of classical advantages of the alcohol consumption, as it is fully aware that by doing so, the result of this experiment will be as sobering and necessary as a cold shower after a night of excess.    

It is then obvious that the combination of the excellent cast and the talent of Vinterberg -both as director and co-creator of the script with Tobias Lindholm-, makes Another Round a sobering, honest look at alcoholism. However, the film goes beyond that, as, besides the fact that it is a perfect complement to films such as Blake Edwards’ Days of Wine and Roses, Mike Figgis’ Leaving Las Vegas or Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend, Another Round is an honest film with a heart that shows that drinking is the solution to nothing; it is not necessary to numb ourselves to survive, we have to learn to embrace our existence and overcome any challenge in order to embrace life at its fullest.