I come from a family of (mostly sober) alcoholics, and we (father, mother, stepmother, a few others) didn't even consider the ending anything other than tragic. But it achieves tragedy through exuberance, which is a wonderful magic trick - and not dissimilar to alcohol in a sense.
I appreciated that this wasn't the somewhat judgy, clichéd, heavy handed addiction story like say Leaving Las Vegas or Flight; instead this is the first movie about addiction that I've seen in a very long time that a) deals with WHY the substance becomes so appealing to the user in the first place, and b) embraces the "good" and the bad of substance abuse with a more nuanced and balanced portrayal. Its ending perfectly matches the tragicomedy of its premise, just as I laughed/cried through the story, often in the same scenes, Mads Mikkelsen's character dances feverishly, desperately before leaping into a freeze frame ending the film (a la Thelma and Louise) - I can't think of a better visual representation for someone in throws of substance abuse. Easily my favorite movie from 2020.
@@NickHunter judgy might be a poor word for it. but I definitely felt like it didn't have much to say other than to be a depressing, Oscar grab movie. Depressed alcoholic drinks himself to death in Vegas, the end.
As someone who has struggled with opioid and benzo addiction, I really related to the story. I found the end to be terribly depressing, while others found it to be an expression of joy. I think as an addict you view this movie differently
I too found the ending Tragic. How anyone could take it as positive is beyond me. A sad, revealing, educational and brilliant movie. Mads Mikkelsen is, to me, one of The Great actors of our time
Martin got the life spark back, which was lost years ago. How on Earth you find that tragic makes me think you never understood anything about the movie.
This is more or less how I saw the film to be honest, though I was never an alcoholic like the anonymous listener. I actually grimaced during the ending, because I saw it as totally tragic, despite Mikkelsen's awesome dance moves. I was surprised to see so many positive interpretations of the ending and the film in general, but I think it's great that people can have totally different perspectives on it from my own, it's a real mark of just how rich and complex the film is.
Mark was very kind with his compliments, but the email is indeed very smart - it puts the dot on the i, and makes it clear even to me why i enjoyed this movie so much. Because it would feel quite pretentious if it were to refuse to tie itself with a moral view, and simply be "life affirming". I am not sure how this impression could have helped the movie at the Oscars, but i want to believe this is why we heard what we did in the interviews with Mads Mikkelsen and the director (Nobody bloody thinks he is flying at the end! He is plunging straight into the same sea that ate Tommy)
The point of the movie is not a celebration of alcoholism or drinking, but of the change of heart and setting yourself free in a life-affirming way, much like presented in the Gospels 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 23 > "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything." .. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying." < So If you feel that drinking is an addiction that is keeping you in a "cage" and is taking control over you, perhaps making you foul, abusive and hurting yourself and/or you family, mentally, financially or physically, then it has gone too far and is not for you, probably not even to the slightest extend, because it's neither beneficial or edifying, but if alcohol is not your weakness, then drinking a glass of wine and getting a bit tipsy now and then, is not really going to hurt you. It's all in the eyes of the beholder, so long as you are being honest about it and not deceiving yourself.
Brilliant email - I also have to echo his thoughts on the ending. It reminded me of the end from the German film System Crashers from last year. Slight **Spoilers** It was filmed in a real Jovial way but everything about it was horrifying and tragic.
As someone still struggling to come to an accomodation with my own relationship with alcohol, I had been very apprehensive to watch "Another Round" as the trailer felt like one of those awful morality play PSA films for teenagers. But this person's email and Mark's reaction have convinced me to watch it.
But Martin is not an alcoholic, so I am not sure whereto the criticism is aimed at. The experiment jolted life back into a man that had lost the life spark and was just a passenger in his own life, and Martin ended on a high note. It feels like the emailer is just projecting his own imagery in to said character, and judge him as not redeeming himself.
As someone who's watched Another Round quite a few times, I disagree with that interpretation. Martin (Mads Mikkelsen) senses something missing in his life, both from his marriage and his job. He seeks to bring back the spark to both through alcohol. In doing so, he loses his best friend and his wife, and these two events lead him to see that he is the one who has to change, which he does, and in doing so he gets back his wife (I assume that's the text he reads that makes him dance) and during that dance he kicks the empty can away from him into the canal which is a powerful image of saying he's done with it.
Wonderful. A Rorschach test is meant to probe the psyche of the viewer, not of the guy who made the inkblots.
Good art is in the interpretation, the viewer finds their own meaning.
Great email. I am also an alcoholic, but a little more extreme than how the emailer describes him/herself, but I viewed the film in much the same way.
what a film....what an email.....
I come from a family of (mostly sober) alcoholics, and we (father, mother, stepmother, a few others) didn't even consider the ending anything other than tragic. But it achieves tragedy through exuberance, which is a wonderful magic trick - and not dissimilar to alcohol in a sense.
Cracking email that, tbf.
This incredibly eloquent anonymous viewer is right: the film is a masterpiece.
Thanks for sharing this great email with us. And thank you for being the kind of people who attract this good an audience.
I appreciated that this wasn't the somewhat judgy, clichéd, heavy handed addiction story like say Leaving Las Vegas or Flight; instead this is the first movie about addiction that I've seen in a very long time that a) deals with WHY the substance becomes so appealing to the user in the first place, and b) embraces the "good" and the bad of substance abuse with a more nuanced and balanced portrayal. Its ending perfectly matches the tragicomedy of its premise, just as I laughed/cried through the story, often in the same scenes, Mads Mikkelsen's character dances feverishly, desperately before leaping into a freeze frame ending the film (a la Thelma and Louise) - I can't think of a better visual representation for someone in throws of substance abuse. Easily my favorite movie from 2020.
You thought Leaving Las Vegas was "judgy"? wow
@@NickHunter judgy might be a poor word for it. but I definitely felt like it didn't have much to say other than to be a depressing, Oscar grab movie. Depressed alcoholic drinks himself to death in Vegas, the end.
As someone who has struggled with opioid and benzo addiction, I really related to the story. I found the end to be terribly depressing, while others found it to be an expression of joy. I think as an addict you view this movie differently
I too found the ending Tragic. How anyone could take it as positive is beyond me. A sad, revealing, educational and brilliant movie. Mads Mikkelsen is, to me, one of The Great actors of our time
It isn’t tragic at all
Tragic in the truth sense of the word, and not in the general, watered down everyday usage - totally agree.
I think that the director said it was about drinking with moderation. And that the movie is about enjoying life or sometging like that.
Martin got the life spark back, which was lost years ago. How on Earth you find that tragic makes me think you never understood anything about the movie.
If you found the ending tragic. You might need to talk to someone.
This is more or less how I saw the film to be honest, though I was never an alcoholic like the anonymous listener. I actually grimaced during the ending, because I saw it as totally tragic, despite Mikkelsen's awesome dance moves. I was surprised to see so many positive interpretations of the ending and the film in general, but I think it's great that people can have totally different perspectives on it from my own, it's a real mark of just how rich and complex the film is.
Mark was very kind with his compliments, but the email is indeed very smart - it puts the dot on the i, and makes it clear even to me why i enjoyed this movie so much.
Because it would feel quite pretentious if it were to refuse to tie itself with a moral view, and simply be "life affirming". I am not sure how this impression could have helped the movie at the Oscars, but i want to believe this is why we heard what we did in the interviews with Mads Mikkelsen and the director (Nobody bloody thinks he is flying at the end! He is plunging straight into the same sea that ate Tommy)
Very brilliant email. As a 40 year hard drinker I'll give this film a go tonight. Cheers!
How was it? 😅
The point of the movie is not a celebration of alcoholism or drinking, but of the change of heart and setting yourself free in a life-affirming way, much like presented in the Gospels 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 23 > "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything." .. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying." <
So If you feel that drinking is an addiction that is keeping you in a "cage" and is taking control over you, perhaps making you foul, abusive and hurting yourself and/or you family, mentally, financially or physically, then it has gone too far and is not for you, probably not even to the slightest extend, because it's neither beneficial or edifying, but if alcohol is not your weakness, then drinking a glass of wine and getting a bit tipsy now and then, is not really going to hurt you. It's all in the eyes of the beholder, so long as you are being honest about it and not deceiving yourself.
Brilliant email - I also have to echo his thoughts on the ending.
It reminded me of the end from the German film System Crashers from last year.
Slight **Spoilers**
It was filmed in a real Jovial way but everything about it was horrifying and tragic.
Anonymous emailer: me too.
As someone still struggling to come to an accomodation with my own relationship with alcohol, I had been very apprehensive to watch "Another Round" as the trailer felt like one of those awful morality play PSA films for teenagers.
But this person's email and Mark's reaction have convinced me to watch it.
But Martin is not an alcoholic, so I am not sure whereto the criticism is aimed at. The experiment jolted life back into a man that had lost the life spark and was just a passenger in his own life, and Martin ended on a high note. It feels like the emailer is just projecting his own imagery in to said character, and judge him as not redeeming himself.
As someone who's watched Another Round quite a few times, I disagree with that interpretation. Martin (Mads Mikkelsen) senses something missing in his life, both from his marriage and his job. He seeks to bring back the spark to both through alcohol. In doing so, he loses his best friend and his wife, and these two events lead him to see that he is the one who has to change, which he does, and in doing so he gets back his wife (I assume that's the text he reads that makes him dance) and during that dance he kicks the empty can away from him into the canal which is a powerful image of saying he's done with it.
This - this interchange - is why (notwithstanding its faults) the BBC is a gem of an institution
Very prefound views!
Very interesting. I had a similar impression the first time I saw the movie, but it didn't quite hit me as strong. I liked the movie but not loved it.
It's friday so im getting blasted
am i the only one on this planet who didn't like this film?
yes
@@ChrisSena 🤣