Another Round * * * ½

Another Round.  No thanks, I've had enough.

Reflecting on this film is rather like reflecting on a drunken night. I don't know if I had a good time or if I'm regretful. 

Like a drinking buddy, sometimes this fiim and I were getting along just fine: laughing too loud, putting an arm around a shoulder and saying, "I love you mate".  

But in the morning,  I was having the thought that he's not really my mate and I don't really like him very much at all. Yet..... I did have a good time, and I was somewhat impressed by the openness and the adventurousness and outrage of the night, and the fact that honest words were spoken and suppressed feelings let out. 

In this Danish Film, four high school teachers, tired with their jobs and feeling a general sense of ennui  come to the realisation that they are happiest when they are a bit drunk.  One of them uncovers a serious philosophical / psychological proposal that humans actually function better when they have a blood alcohol level of about .05.  They research it further and they selectively look at some of the great names in history who were renowned drinkers. They decide to experiment with the idea and keep themselves at a BAC level of .05 all day whilst at work.

They find themselves to be more open, enthusiastic, vibrant and inspiring.  Their students love them. They are always just on the edge. We all know slightly tipsy people can be more fun.  (I know I am. Or at least, I think I am. Or maybe I've just got courteous and long suffering friends).

Where things go wrong in this film is precisely where things go wrong when drinkers decide to take it up a notch. In the film it's presented to us as being logical that they would want to push the experiment.  But when you stop and think about it, we are dealing with mature men here.  They should well know what will happen.  They probably did it heaps of times in their youth. 

What starts off as a very fine drama and an exciting project soon deteriorates. Just like someone who has had one too many. 

Whereas other drunk films might be about a lost night (The Night Before) this one becomes more about a lost plot.   And like intoxicated people, their amusing vibrant open personality soon becomes burdensome and rather pathetic.  

There comes a time in this film when you want to say, "You should probably stop now".  Rather like one might say to a drinking buddy.