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What would life be like to be constantly tipsy?

Martin (played by Mads Mikkelsen) in full swig in the Danish film Another Round.

Streaming reviewer NICK OVERALL looks at a movie that ponders the idea of what life would be like if one were constantly tipsy.

Streaming on SBS ON Demand is a film from Denmark that offers up some fascinating food for thought.

Nick Overall.

Or perhaps drink for thought is more accurate.

Another Round ponders the idea of what life would be like if one were constantly tipsy.

Not drunk, not a little buzzed but perennially at a level of 0.05 blood alcohol content.

It was an idea that was actually proposed by a Norwegian psychiatrist. Finn Skarderud suggested that humans are born with a blood alcohol deficiency of 0.05%. (Tad important side note: Skarderud this year pleaded guilty to fraud.)

In Another Round, four middle-aged high school teachers decide to test out this theory for one month under the idea of it being a “social experiment” that they will “academically record”.

Like any good party, things start smoothly. They’re happier, more relaxed and their normally bored students start taking renewed interest in their classes.

But as the month goes on the results of their experiment quickly get out of control. That’s particularly the case for Martin, the story’s protagonist played by Mads Mikkelsen, who risks losing his job, family and friends to the experiment.

Still no matter how dire things get these four teachers are determined to stay the course until the very end of the four-week binge.

The film is spoken in Danish so does come with subtitles but don’t let that ward off the opportunity to watch this truly unique import from Europe.

Another Round is an underrated cocktail of comedy and drama. Cheers to that.

Zac Efron as real-life professional American wrestler Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw.

Hitting Amazon Prime Video is one of the best sports films to come out in recent memory.

It’s called The Iron Claw and it stars High School Musical alumni Zac Efron.

This is Efron as he’s never been seen before though, undergoing a remarkable transformation into real-life professional American wrestler Kevin Von Erich.

Along with his brother Kerry (here played by star of The Bear Jeremy Allen White) and his three other brothers, the Von Erichs represented a Texan wrestling dynasty, taking out a string of championships in the 1980s.

Their father, Fritz Von Erich, was the patriarch of this dynasty, putting his sons through grueling training in the pursuit of glory.

But as The Iron Claw regales, the family would eventually come to be known as “cursed” after being struck by tragedy after tragedy.

Viewers don’t need to be fans of wrestling or even have a passing interest in the sport to get caught up in this exceptional film that’s firmly spearheaded by Zac Efron’s most impressive performance to date.

It’s full of intense fight scenes and even more intense drama.

Be prepared for the emotional punch this one packs though.

Now on both Netflix and Binge is the long-anticipated prequel to Willy Wonka.

Timothee Chalamet wears the famous top hat this time, with the film winding back to the clock to when Wonka was merely an emerging chocolatier.

Simply called “Wonka”, there’s no shortage of talent in the cast, which includes Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Grant who offer up a rather bizarre take on the Oompa Loompas.

Like many going into this, my expectations were low but this new take on Roald Dahl’s famous character admittedly has its moments of eye candy indeed.

It may be a little better than the 2005 Johnny Depp one and a little worse than 1971’s Gene Wilder take. A film somewhere in the middle that’ll be a treat for kids and a passable two-hour time killer for adults.

Wonka is certainly watchable but ultimately I was left asking the question, why can’t this sort of effort be put into a wholly new idea for families to enjoy? Why not a new take on one of Roald Dahl’s many other fantastical stories?

So much for a world of pure imagination.

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Ian Meikle, editor

Nick Overall

Nick Overall

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