FilmSnobReviews

Title: Druk (Another Round)
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins

What It Is: 4 friends at various stages of middle age, who are all high school teachers, test a theory that they will improve their lives (socially and professionally) by maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood. The unimaginable results then determine how far each of them is willing to go with the experiment.

What We Think: Thomas Vinterberg is one of my favorite directors. His 2012 film Jagten (The Hunt in English) is my favorite of his. Imagine my excitement when Druk (Another Round in English) was announced, marking another collaboration between the director and Mads Mikkelsen, both of them returning to their roots in Danish cinema. Easily, my most anticipated film of 2020. And it’s safe to say that Druk exceeded my expectations.

Vinterberg has made another somber yet compelling film, this time in the form of a tragicomedy. His Dogme 95 style is quite present here, being that the film looks and sounds beautiful. The cinematography and sound editing/design are some of the film’s many strengths- almost every shot (if not every shot) is beautifully lit by natural light (and artificial light is barely used), making for an artistically pleasing presentation. That’s why I love Vinterberg’s style of filmmaking so much. He makes the story world feel so real, using actual locations instead of sets/soundstages.  Speaking of the story world, the screenplay is incredibly charming yet captivating. Within the first 15 minutes, I was already sucked into the film and transfixed until the credits started rolling.

The characters themselves are very well written. The film does indeed revolve around 4 friends (at different points in their middle age) testing out an old theory that maintaining a constant level of alcohol in their blood will improve their lives, but the story goes from comedic and cheerful to brutally realistic and saddening lengths. This change in tone throughout the film is executed brilliantly (the only other film I’ve seen that does this so well is The Lighthouse), making for a very entertaining and engaging story.

The performances are equally good. Mads Mikkelsen remains a force to be reckoned with, this time playing a broken man worn down by life and time searching for euphoria. He plays the role incredibly well and his fellow cast members, some returning from Jagten, Thomas Bo Larsen, and Lars Ranthe, are an amazing supporting cast. One of the more interesting aspects of the film is how these longtime friends share both similarities and differences in their lives and look onto the ‘experiment’ in different ways. One scene, in particular, comes to mind, where the 4 amigos are listening to a beautiful piano piece while the camera lingers on each of them for a little while, with different expressions on their faces. It’s a mesmerizing moment- the song means different things to each of them and through the actor’s performances you get an idea of what that might be. Masterful filmmaking and brilliant performances.

Our Grade: A+, This film absolutely deserves this grade. Thomas Vinterberg has made another enthralling film and it’s clear that this one, in some ways, is a return to form. Like Jagten, I was captivated from the very beginning due to its incredible story, performances, and gorgeous cinematography. Do not miss out on this one!