Review: Trainspotting

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Written by: John Hodge

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle

Rating: [4/5]

Living a normal and responsible life does not appeal to everyone, as it comes with its trappings and downsides that bore some. Sometimes choosing a life on the edges where the highs get felt above the rest comes with a more appealing prospect, which we see in the disgusting and incredibly entertaining Trainspotting. A film with quite the attitude and singularly unique in the way it all comes together. 

Enjoying their time getting high on heroin rather than productive members of society, Mark “Rent Boy” Renton (Ewan McGregor) spends the majority of his time with his mates Daniel “Spud” Murphy (Ewen Bremner) and Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson (Jonny Lee Miller). Together they continually get into shenanigans and do everything other than what comes with responsibility but when they run into issues with the law and their family, they attempt to make something of their lives. 

Right from the onset, Trainspotting should come with a warning that you should not eat while you watch the film because of the disgusting situations these characters find themselves in. Watching someone shoot up heroin may be enough but some of the circumstances these men find themselves in and must follow through with are incredibly difficult to watch in a comedic way showing the lack of cleanliness in the corners they hang out with. A particular public toilet scene Mark encounters was enough for me to have to look away and in moments it gets even worse. The filth of their surroundings as difficult as it may be to watch contributes mightily to exactly what this feature wants to evoke about this world and why these men yo-yo back and forth into this environment and try to make something of themselves. 

Throughout the feature we follow Mark’s monologues as he delivers, at a kinetic speed, all of the things that come with a normal life and why he finds it completely unappealing. He, however, does understand the life that comes as a heroin addict and while the high may come with its satisfactory moments, the downsides lead to some difficult circumstances. Then we see the moments where he tries to give up the addictive substance and dives into living a respectable life and finds no real value in that either showing this feature centering on these young men lost in what they want to do and accomplish in their lives. When all else fails they know they can go back to the sweet reprieve of heroin and they far too easily jump right back into it. 

This feature carries an attitude, something focused on rebelling against a system they deem lacking any pleasure or meaning as they try to find the best way to live. Looking at the poster alone evokes the feeling of what this feature attempts to communicate and demonstrate about what these characters feel about their life situation and the only real escape they can extract from it. This coincides with the way the feature gets shot along with the editing bringing this angry approach in portraying this story and highlighting the decision-making of these characters. With this all happening in Scotland, it adds a perspective of this attitude that typically does not get highlighted where what they expect in life differs. It’s fiercely independent and feels radical in its approach, which continues to add to its charm and why following these characters never gets old even with all of the disgusting circumstances they find themselves in. 

One particular challenge this film quite-handedly overcomes is the complete unlikeability of these characters at the center of the story. These men are impressively terrible in all aspects of their lives and the way they treat others. Typically that would turn off someone like me from its story, but the film fully embraces the terrible nature of these men and how they go about their lives. They have no qualms with accepting it themselves because it all ultimately comes down to how they can get to their next high rather than leaving a positive mark on anyone around them. Digging through all of the muck of these personalities, we can see the kernel of good within them just trying to figure it all out, which contributes to the overall success of this feature and the wild ride it takes us on. 

Not many films come out of the blue and completely shock the system quite like Trainspotting where the word radical can feasibly describe nearly every aspect of its existence. From the characters to the filmmaking, and its overall approach to presenting itself to audiences far and wide. It gives quite the start to some tremendous actors who will eventually go on and work in many prominent productions but they can trace it all back to what they accomplish here. Everything this ride has to offer does so while flipping the bird right at you and it comes down to the audience of whether or not they will accept and go for the ride or outright reject.