Well, that was an interesting awards show, wasn’t it?
In a bid towards relevance, the Motion Picture Academy put on an extravagant yet reserved show two Sundays ago. And as ratings dictated, fifty percent of the previous year’s viewers tuned out. This is hardly a surprise given the kind of low-stakes races and complete lack of a clear favorite among the contenders. With the exception of Chadwick Boseman in the best actor category, no single nominee was a front-runner. But for those who know the results, it was fun to relish in the Academy getting the preverbal egg on their faces. But these awards are for the industry, plain and simple. Any merit in their value is dependent on us. Sometimes, though, they stumble onto worthy art. Case in point: “Another Round.”
Scrolling through Hulu, I came across this small Danish film in the mix. Nominated for the Best International Feature Film Oscar and now the winner, my interest was piqued at the premise. Four middle-aged high school teachers decide to imbibe at a .05 alcohol level throughout their work day. All of this stems from their lack of control and restlessness in their present lives. As you would expect, the drinking becomes an obstacle at certain points. All of this culminating in their downfall, right?
Well, this is not entirely true. Yes, their drinking does have negative effects when they play with the steady level of blood alcohol. One teacher’s subject is psychology, which is how this all kickstarts at a birthday dinner discussion. They all gleefully walk into it as if it is an experiment with a hypothesis and objectives. In the grand tradition of social science ventures, things go awry. The intrigue is in how each character is affected, and it becomes just as intoxicating to watch. There are no moral judgements here. Director Thomas Vinterberg presents just enough pathos and real consequences to move the story among. Where an American film would want a bigger sequence of events and more histrionics in acting, Vinterberg keeps it true to life.
Much has been made of the best actor nominations this year, who should or shouldn’t have been. But the central performance of Mads Mikkelsen is captivating. Both real yet absorbing, his portrayal of a history teacher in a rut is utterly relatable. When we see his interactions with his doctor wife and vacant teen children, the clear lack of purpose leaps off the screen. At the inciting incident, he takes the drinking challenge with some trepidation but knows he’s missing something. Mikkelsen and Vinterberg have worked before on “The Hunt,” a very different school-based narrative that also should be checked out. Unfortunately, most only know Mads from “Casino Royale” or “Doctor Strange” which is a shame. He deserved to be among Chadwick and Hopkins this year.
In the end, the film doesn’t moralize the premise it sets out for itself. Each character’s actions have been dictated from the start regardless of the introduction of booze. Vinterberg shows how those problems were only exacerbated, not caused by it. Much like the poem at the beginning of the film, it is their pursuit of youth and vitality made all the more poignant as Mads dances to its conclusion. A truly life-affirming place to end up you might say. News broke that Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company has optioned the film to be remade, which is sad. This is a singular modern masterpiece, distilled into a bottle only this way once. I urge you to seek it out on Hulu or anyway you can find it.
Happy viewing, dear reader.
