Trainspotting

Danny Boyle, UK 1995, 93 minutes

"Do you want to choose life?"

It's debatable whether the characters of Trainspotting do or not. A trawl through the worship and abuse of Class A, B, C and legal narcotics, we see obsessed friendships, abused families, destructive influences, illegality, immorality, depths of depravity. It's a comedy and a bloody funny one at that too.

Trainspotting is the story of Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his friends - Spud, a nice but hopeless fellow addict; Sick Boy, the only one with a controllable habit and a comprehensive knowledge of Sean Connery; Begbie, whose only fix comes from alcohol and violence; and Tommy, whose only obsession is Iggy Pop. Together they try to get out of poverty, get more drugs, get by and generally survive with only one question hanging over them - "do you want to choose life".

This was the film of the start of `96. Breaking box office records all over the country it quickly became a cult and mainstream hit. Filmed in Glasgow (it was set in Leith, goddamit) it captures perfectly the mood and feel of Irvine Welsh's book. All the actors play their roles superbly, with extra credit going to Robert Carlyle (Begbie) for making every Edinburgh pub-goer very wary of Pringle wearing, club smoking, moustache bearers.

A cracking, very black comedy, this is essential viewing for anybody claiming to know all aspects of life in Edinburgh. It's also essential viewing for everyone else. Accompanied by a classic soundtrack this film makes for an evening very well spent. Go and see it, go and see it now and if you've already seen it go and see it again.

"Hollywood come in please, your time it up, not only can we compete, we can knock you into the ground *****" - Empire

Review by Andrew Hesketh
Taken from EUFS Programme 1996-97