As the brawny chokehold this pandemic has exerted over us all for well over a year now loosens, we may bit by bit reboot our daily lives and rejoice. Among other things, movie theatres have re-opened last week here in Belgium and if my first cinematic experience of 2021 is any indication of what’s to come, the future instantly looks a whole lot brighter. Of course, the lingering lull we faced prior may have corrupted my stoic judgement somewhat, but who cares? Let’s get back into it, baby.
The Danish movie Druk tells the story of four highschool teachers who decide to subject themselves to an experiment based on a philosophic notion that a state of constant inebriation is basically a means to transcend general mediocrity. And thus, they proceed to document how drinking alcohol on a systematic basis affects their social, professional, and private life. Spoiler alert. Turns out it’s great fun… for the most part.
The first act tackles the more upbeat aspects of excessive consumption with well-paced and magnificently executed comedy. In parallel there’s a highly amusing tension inherent to the sneakiness of their endeavour which highlights a great sense of complicity amongst the four protagonists and we, the audience, get to partake in this delight.
Of course, their experiment spirals out of control eventually and this is where Vinterberg injects a healthy dose of drama to balance out what could otherwise be seen as a shameless glorification of drinking culture. He stays clear of preachy demonization, though, and prudently upholds an approach which oozes warmth and joie de vivre throughout even when the potential gravity of the subject matter is on display.
The characters that populate the story are a major asset. Despite not having a great deal of background, they’re all given distinct and credible personalities, and the camaraderie they share feels truly authentic. Considering the rather absurd story it’s remarkable how all the interactions therein come across as perfectly believable. Everything from the conduct of the students to the tone of the principal’s speeches, the domestic frustrations left and right and even the cheesy (but ever so heart-warming) affection between the football coach and the spectacled little kid. None of it felt random or out-of-place. One scene in particular early on where they’re out celebrating one of the guy’s birthday really struck a chord with me. The editing here I phenomenally efficient and Mads Mikkelsen’s performance is nothing short of godlike. Strong stuff.
So there you go, Miss Rona. You’re here to stay, huh? So be it. But we shan’t remain confined any longer. Mass-inoculation is ongoing and there’s a buttload of shelved movies waiting to kiss the silver screen. To those I raise my glass in anticipation and say: Skål.
