Movie Review: Druk (“Another Round”)

The story of Danish movie Druk (English title, “Another Round”) is predictable enough, but told so well and with such spirit (pun intended) that it just doesn’t matter.

Martin (Mads Mikkelsen) is a middle-aged history teacher numbly watching his world collapse around him. His once-promising academic career has faded into the grey haze of a loveless marriage and trying to teach history to sullen high school seniors. And he’s becoming less and less capable of even that much.

When his friends gather to celebrate fellow teacher Nikolaj’s (Magnus Millang) 40th birthday at a fancy restaurant, boring, dependable Martin stays responsibly sober. Yet, he can’t help noticing that, as each course is paired with a different variety of alcohol, his friends’ tongues and inhibitions begin to loosen. The sombre dinner group slowly breaks into laughter and spirited conversation. Then, psychology teacher Peter (Lars Ranthe) brings up the theories of psychologist Finn Skårderud, who hypothesises that humans have a naturally deficient blood-alcohol content. Maintaining a BAC of 0.05%, Skårderud says, makes you more naturally creative and relaxed.

Realising that all of their careers and lives have stalled, the group decide to put Skårderud’s theory to the test. They agree to keep their BAC at 0.05 only and to not drink after 8pm (as per Hemingway).

And so the fun begins. Martin finds, to his pleasant surprise, that his classroom style loosens up and he reignites his own and his students’ passion and they begin studying for their final exams with increasing enthusiasm. His family similarly revives. The others likewise find their old and boring lives have livened up. PE teacher Tommy’s (Thomas Bo Larsen) junior soccer team win their first game and, with Tommy’s spirited encouragement, shy, nerdy “Specs” kicks his first goal and becomes the team’s new hero.

It’s absolutely no surprise that this success encourages the group to push the envelope. First, they double the agreed BAC to 0.10, before going on an out-and-out bender.

Again, it’s no surprise that it’s all fun and games until the hangover comes crashing down. Martin’s marriage collapses entirely and the group’s drinking begins to attact unwelcome professional notice. Eventually, the group abandons the experiment, give up drinking altogether and apparently go back to what’s left of their dull, dependable lives.

Is there a redemption? You know there is. Individually, the group begin to realise that there’s a place for alcohol in life. For Martin, revelation comes as he joins his celebrating students, takes his first drink in months and breaks into dance for the first time in years, finally throwing himself into the spirit of celebration with wild abandon.

If all that makes the story of Druk sound predictable, well it is, and who cares? The old stories are none the worse for being told again, if they’re told well. Druk may be Dead Poets Society with boozy, middle-aged teachers taking the place of the students, but it’s a thoroughly intoxicating film, full of joie de vivre and skillfully woven tragicomedy, not to mention stellar performances.

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