To anyone who ever thought Trainspotting was as rough as it gets...

Rating: 10/10 (16 March 2007)

A dense, dark drama which explores the stomach churning and mind warping effects of drug abuse. This film is an absolute must see, and stays with you long after it has ended.
There are superb performances from Ellen Burstyn and Jared Leto as the erratic mother and junkie son whose distant relationship is severed more and more by their persistent drug use. The compassion you are made to feel for Burstyn's character is so intense that the film's climax is almost unbearable. Loneliness like that is not at all unusual, and may just make you give your mother that extra phone call or visit once in a while, just to show her that she is not alone.
Although you may not have a drug habit, the focus on relationships makes the films seem uncomfortably personal, and really makes you stop and think. Aronofsky's fresh and original style keep the film moving at a fast pace, keeping it interesting, even when not a lot is going on in the story at that time.
A triumph in modern cinema, and one of the most original, brutal and touching films i've ever had the pleasure of watching.