Review of Trainspotting (1996) by Jonathan D — 01 Mar 2013

You would not expect a movie about heroin addicts to be whimsical, but this is by Danny Boyle, who likes looking at things from a different angle.

That tension, between the dark subject and the light tone is really at the heart of the film. It's never *really* whimsical, but it's framed that way to let you establish a relationship with the characters more sympathetic than judgmental. The group of Scottish mates all inhabit an entirely dllapidated flat - which is nevertheless brightly colored. An absolutely revolting scene in "the worst toilet in Scotland" makes you want to puke and crack up at the same time.

What brought it down for me was not the subject matter but its meandering pointless story line. Very loosely structured around Renton's (Ewan McGregor) half-hearted desire to come clean, it is mostly just a series of vignettes. This movie may have played much better in a theater, where the audience gets to gasp along together at some of the outrageous circumstances Renton puts himself through.