Flawless adaptation of a groundbreaking book

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2007)

It is doubtful that there is much new that can be said at this stage about this adaptation of Irvine Welsh's triumphant 1993 novel of the same name. The film follows the misadventures of a group of extremely dysfunctional characters who are immersed in an underworld of addiction, crime, and violence. Their darkly funny antics are shortsighted, aimless, and nearly always have a tragic outcome. In this universe, the humane become casualties and only the most unprincipled have any chance of escape. Nearly all of the main protagonists are addicts of one sort or another, with heroin being the drug of choice. However, this film does not glorify drug use. The addict lifestyle and worldview is portrayed as being just as pointless and empty of meaning as the materialistic values and aspirations that are promoted by mainstream society.
The richness of the material allows the audience to read "Trainspotting" in many ways: as a scathing social commentary, a superb existential black comedy, a bleak human drama, a gritty portrayal of addiction in it's many forms, or as a meditation on the meaning of self and the nature of friendship in a brutal world. However one chooses to understand it, this film relentlessly challenges it's audience. It is by turns compelling, hilarious, and horrific. Danny Boyle's direction is truly outside-the-box in terms of his depiction of amoral characters in an amoral world. The dialogue is razor sharp and the acting is top notch. Special mention should also be given to the cinematography and set-design, and the soundtrack is flawless. This film is a classic.