Trainspotting (1996) Review

Trainspotting (1996)

Trainspotting follows Mark Renton as he, and his junkie friends, traverse the bumpy road of addiction, one bad idea at a time. 

Amidst all the chaos, this is a film about choices and what you choose. There’s the life of normalcy, as Renton explains, living day-to-day, paying bills, choosing to be a model citizen (though his take on that is still a bit askew). Then there’s the opposite, a pretty much fuck-all way of life—a life of drugs. Now, don’t get it confused, this is a movie that highlights the upsides of heroin and other drugs, i.e. “better than the best orgasm you’ve ever had”. But it also extensively details the lowlights and just how darkly destructive they can be. In it’s expert objectivity, the film doesn't condemn drug addicts either, but it is probably more effective then any amount of preachy moralizing (aside from maybe Requiem for a Dream) as it depicts the devastating consequences that can happen to drug users.

If it sounds dark, that’s because it is.  Trainspotting is as hilarious as it is deeply disturbing though, which is what brings that whole thing together. It’s snappy editing and eagerness to portray the fantasy Renton and his friends live in create such a fast and exciting energy that, coupled with the phenomenal script, offsets some of the troubling nature of this film. 

Though relatively unknown upon release, this film sports an excellent cast, starring Kevin McKidd, Kelly Macdonald, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, Johnny Lee Miller, and Ewan McGregor. Carlyle really channels his inner John Cazale, acting as one of the few characters not addicted to drugs, but just as fucking insane. McGregor is also undeniably great here, carrying the film with such ease, managing to be both likable and repulsive in his ever shifting journey. 

Trainspotting, directing by Danny Boyle, is the perfect blend of style and substance, a really imaginative piece that is hilarious, horrifying, tragic, and benefiting of a rare level of depth and resonance that is rarely seen outside of British cinema. 

9.1/10