Rating: 
Summary: Daring to do what Hollywood doesn't
Review: A film which educates and ultimately deters people from the use of Heroin. A film which successfully threads humour with shocking realism.It was said in Britain that the Americans weren't reasy for this movie, and by it's realtively unknown status in the US that would seem a relavant point. Maybe it's the Scottish accents, or the far-from-hollywood feel of the film, but for the rest of us, this is a well-made and thought provoking film.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely Not Hollywood
Review: After the success of Shallow Grave, the triumvirate of director Boyle, producer Andrew MacDonald and writer John Hodge didn't sell out to Hollywood and grab the barrel loads of cash on offer. Instead they decided to take on the difficult project of filming the unfilmable, namely Irving Welsh's extreme, druggy vision, Trainspotting. The Edinburgh writer's cult novel is a shocking, sickening, but also blackly hilarious voyage into his city's dark nether regions, an dso is this film. The movie follows the fortunes of likable, suede-head junkie Mark Renton (McGregor), and his dodgy gang of sidekicks: girl magnet Sick Boy, nerd Spud, and psycho Begsbie (Robert Carlyle). Exploring the oblivion and depredation of drugs, the film treats us to delights of acute diarrhea, 'toilet diving' in the filthiest toilet in Scotland, crime, unemployment, AIDS, copious vomiting, as well as some football. One of the more direct statements made in the movie is that being Scottish sucks. What is more apparent, however, is that being a f**ked up junkie sucks. The fact that such unpromising material makes for compelling viewing is due to the sheer talent at work in the film. The center of the movie is Renton's cynical, world-weary view: "One day their won't be men or women, just wankers". The soundtrack, mixing the cool of Lou Reed with techno and Britpop, is not a grubby attempt to cash in, but helps the atmosphere and the pacing of the movie. McGregor's acting is assured. His sullen, hypnotic presence is the film's heart, but he is ably assisted by the other actors, particularly Robert Carlyle's Begsbie. Irving Welsh also makes an appearance as local dealer Mother Superior so called because of the length of his habit! Certainly this is a dark and dirty, violent and sordid movie, but it is also strangely uplifting with a hint of optimism at the end. Hamstrung by its need to constantly make deals and cover all the bases, this is the kind of movie, Hollywood is no longer able to make.
Rating:
Summary: Choose Trainspotting.
Review: The buzz around this movie at the time of release was that it was "The Best British Film of the Decade". It certainly was. Trainspotting is a pumped-up, fast-paced, hilarious, dark comedy that explodes onto the screen. The very first scene, with Renton and the gang running from the police, sets a mood which doesn't let up until the end credits roll. Now, the film is very funny and very slick. But it does not, by any means take the subject of heroin addiction lightly. What it does is lure you in with its jokey stylings and then - BAM! - hits you over the head with a sledgehammer. Anyone who comes away from this film thinking heroin is a good thing is soft in the head. They thought heroin was a good idea before they went in and were determined not to be put off. The withdrawal scene is harrowing. And it becomes clear early on just how selfish heroin-addiction makes a person and how it reduces a life down to nothing but the next hit. Renton's opening voice over, 'Choose life... choose a big car...' etc, may well be anti-establishment, it may point to the flaws in modern living. But the movie does not claim that drugs are an alternative to domesticity. 'I chose not to choose life... I chose something else,' he continues. The keyword here is "life". Heroin is death. The film simply makes the point that many people choose heroin because they see no point in normalcy. It then sets out to prove that opinion to be flawed. There is, the film says, a third way. But it says none of these things in the preachy way I just have. And that's its value. It is very funny, very moral, and very meaningful. It is the British beating Hollywood at its own game for once. And, when the time comes, it will probably be hailed as "The best British film of the last twenty years."
Rating:
Summary: Dark, daring and hysterical all at once
Review: The film which launched the career of Ewan McGregor was a mesmerising effort, recreating the dark and dingy existance of a group of Scottish heroin addicts brilliantly. Many scenes are wll and truly shocking, especially the dead baby scene and Renton's subsequent hallucination. At times it can almost make disturbing viewing, such as Renton famously diving headfirst into a toilet to retrieve some heroin, and the overdose scene with Lou Reed's Prefect Day in the background. Either as a let-up from all this darkness or to make things even mroe stark, here are also sharp moments of humour, such as Spud's Speed-addled job interview and Renton casually talking the parents of Diane, a girl he had just slept with, thinks there her flatmates, before being shocked to see Diane come down the stairs in her school uniform. The way the sex scenes are melded together with video footage of a goal for Scotland's soccer team was unusual, and I challenge you not to laugh when Tommy puts a 'special' tape made of him in action with his girlfriend and is greeted by football, prompting him to think he may have returned the tape to the video shop! Another standout aspect is the soundtrack. The guy who said he hated all the band son it must peddle a unique taste in music, as many of these tracks are classics. Not only the Lou Reed and Iggy Pop trackswhich may have introduced these veterans to a whole new generation, but also dance tracks like Ice MC's Boom Diggy Boom and Underworld's epochal Born Slippy. Sleeper's cover of Blondie's classic Atomic and tracks from Pulp and Blur add an 'indie' flavour. All in all I can't recommend watching this enough. And all in all, if after seeing this film heroin appeals to you, you are a strangely sadistic being, as this in no way 'glorifies' heroin.
Rating:
Summary: A true masterpiece
Review: Easily one of the best films of the 1990s, "Trainspotting" centers around a group of youngsters who are controlled by their addiction to heroin. Set in Scotland, where the youth in question live on welfare money to support their habits, the main character Renton (played brilliantly by Ewen McGregor) decides to give kicking the habit another shot, and in the process of trying to sober himself he watches his life, and the lives of his friends, fall apart all around him. There is an inescapable feeling of a loss of hope that emenates from just about every character in the movie. Such external factors as economy, lack of direction, lack of self-control, and fear of almost all things, including cheating thir bodies' craving and having to go through withdrawal, are all telling factors in how they each respond to the different obstacles they face throughout the movie. The movie is definitely not without its funny points, and the dry humor that is seemingly rapid-fired by the characters as they engage in their normal activities of mischief hold substantially more comic value than is seen in most comedies these days. The feeling of closure in the movie is very ambiguous for me. On one hand, you can definitely see a chapter of someone's life come to an end in a disheartening but nonetheless necessary fashion. On the other, the path ahead for the individual has a very "Lady or the Tiger" feel to it, although I'm sure the writers would have us believe that things end in a very good way. After watching the movie, it's not a hard thing to credit.
Rating:
Summary: A dark movie about heroin
Review: This movie unlike some movies shows depth about heroin use and its side effects physically and mentally. Not only viewing drug use but the poverty and everyday struggles of people trying to make it in the world.
Rating:
Summary: Addictive . . .
Review: this movie is its own "smack": dark, dirty, humorous, and comes down hard. Buy it and get hooked.
Rating:
Summary: Addictive . . .
Review: this movie is kind of its own "...": dark, dirty, humorous, and comes down hard. Buy it and get hooked.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the faint of heart
Review: How refreshing to see a film that does not conform to the idea that drugs are a one-sided issue. A truly honest look at the ups and downs of five surprisingly likeable friends. The offbeat humor of the movie tends to balance itself with some very graphic material. Not recammended for those without an open mind, an understanding of such material and a strong stomach. Otherwise, a great film and definite eye-opener.
Rating:
Summary: Day in the life...
Review: This movie delves into the days of a life of a junky. Where things that would embarass and even disgust a normal person are of little oddity to these Hardcore drug users. But there is more to this movie than just drugs. There is a unique outlook on life and the actual power of friends. In the end the friendship they had wasn't as strong as they believed. I recommend this movie highly and won't spoil any of it for you. Enjoy the film.
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