THE PICK of the films that will be screened at the Pálás cinema, which re-opens on Friday July 16, is Another Round, the Danish film which won the 2021 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Most cinema goers will recognise Mads Mikkelsen the star and the director Thomas Vinterberg is European cinema royalty.
Martin (Mikkelsen ) is a middle aged, secondary school history teacher, in the throes of a slow burn, mid-life crisis. He has lost his love of teaching and the students all know (complaints to the principal are made ), his relationship with his wife has become transactional and dull, and his children are distant.
One afternoon, while out with his three friends for a birthday lunch, Martin has a few drinks and finds it makes life a lot more bearable, he laughs and smiles for the first time in the film.One of the lads mentions a theory from Norwegian psychiatrist, Skårderud, who said that humans are born with a 0.05 per cent alcohol deficiency and should drink throughout the day to make up for it. So they decide to give an experiment a go. With a breathalyser and some hidden bottles of booze around work and home they try and live life just a tiny bit buzzed.
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Part of the point of film lies in the opening quote on screen from Søren Kierkegaard: "What is youth? A dream. What is love? The content of the dream.” Vinterberg is saying that youth, the way Kierkegaard refers to it here, is not about the number of years you have been alive, but about the life you are living.
Martin and his friends have fallen into a tough period of middle age and Another Round is about them trying to get back to that youthful life. By making their route to this youthfulness alcohol, we know, and they know, it is not a long term solution.
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The remarkable part of this film is the lack of judgment from the creators. It has no interest coming down on either side of the debate and makes for a really interesting viewing experience. You are waiting for the director or whoever to pass judgement on these men and it just does not happen. It is up to you what you think of their behaviour.
Also striking is the warmth of the film. Each character, even those struggling, are genuinely good people, and are given room and affection even in the face of their glaring flaws. I am not sure that would be the case if this was an American or UK/Irish production - I found that to be both realistic, and a comforting angle on this unusual subject and story. Also, the last five minutes will blow you away.
