Review of Trainspotting (1996) by Ragekoi — 21 Dec 2013
Trainspotting is a film about five young miscreants and their drug-induced, illegal, and overall frowned-upon shenanigans in Edinburgh, Scotland. The main character of the film is a good-hearted guy named Mark Renton, who wants to clean his life up and become a good person, However, this task is incredibly difficult due to the unchangeable nature of so-called mates.
Sick Boy seems to just to terrible things just to get a thrill out of it, Spud does them because he's unintelligent and cannot emerge from his addiction, and Begbie does it because he's a violent psychopath wrecking anything that gets in his way.
The movie doesn't explain too much about each character, but their inhumane actions mostly define them so they never feel underdeveloped. The plot also supplies a lot with a little, because it's essentially just a guy's life.
Even though the movie is very good, it's certainly not for everyone. This film is the modern-day version of "A Clockwork Orange", as their are multiple "gross-out" moments that are meant to make you cringe.
There's sex (underage and homosexual), nudity, teenage angst, ultra-violence, drug use, toilet plunging, and the death of a baby. Trainspotting not only has excellent cinematography, but an equally great if not better soundtrack.
The songs used in the film are often times giving off polar opposite vibes then what you're viewing, which is a technique I'm personally a big fan of. Pacing is never an issue in this film. There are no points where I was bored are waiting for something to happen next.
The writing is very strong, and the ridiculous Scottish accents enhance the delivery of each f-word that much more enjoyable. Acting is also very strong. Ewan McGregor leads a cast of very talented Scottish actors, each with great range and commitment.
Overall this movie is a cautionary tale showcasing horrors of doing drugs and having an addiction, and probably would be received better if the content within the film was more universally enjoyable.
This review of Trainspotting (1996) was written by Ragekoi on 21 Dec 2013.
Trainspotting has generally received very positive reviews.
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