20 years on, choose something else.

Rating: 6/10 (9 November 2017)

This is it. One of the big ones. One of the biggest films in both British cinema and culture, as well as general cinema. It took a glimpse at and captured late 90s British culture, has garnered endless praise by critics and audiences alike, has influenced many films and filmmakers since, got nominated for numerous awards and even has a cult following to boot. But after 20 years, does it still hold up?
The plot is Renton among his various heroin junkie friends wander around life in late 1990s Scotland and England, experiencing addiction, drug withdrawal, employment, theft and the changing culture of the time. If I'm sounding like I'm making the film look weak in terms of plot, that is how the film presents itself, and is rather the fault of the film than of my own. One of my biggest problems with the film is its utter lack of a coherent plot and/or structure. There is no overreaching story arc whatsoever throughout the entire film, sans the occasional subplot, and as such, it makes the film hard to connect with due to a lack of a strong narrative to pull the viewer in. This sort of style can work; Five Easy Pieces for example is a wonderful demonstration of how to do a wandering movie correctly.
However, the big difference between Five Easy Pieces and Trainspotting is that while both have major douchebags in the leads, the former's was at least sympathetic, the latter isn't. And that is my main problem with the film; the characters are too unlikable to engage with. Far too nasty, narcissistic and selfish to really attach onto. Only Spud seems like a legitimately good guy, and even he is too pathetic and easily manipulated to support. The rest of them are just horrible and self-indulgent narcissists perfectly happy to stab each other in the back when the plot serves that need, most notably Renton's betrayal of both Spud in the courtroom early on and then his ultimate back stab at the end. It doesn't make a for a bunch of likable protagonists, of which makes the viewer wonder why are they bothering to watch?
In comparison, someone like Five Easy Pieces' Bobby Dupea may be for many an unlikable guy (being moody, spoilt and generally selfish), but at least he is charming, and cares enough for people for people around him to make him a likable enough guy with some sense of a moral compass. Trainspotting has none of this. The characters seem to care little for one another beyond anything superficial, they have no likable character traits, and given the fact that they range from stupid losers to borderline psychopaths (hi, Begbie), they aren't pleasant people to be around either. Of which makes watching an hour and a half movie with these fools as the lead somewhat problematic, given that I don't enjoy their company at all. Meanwhile, they don't have the excuse films like Sweet Smell Of Success, Fight Club and even Boyle's own Shallow Grave do in that the characters in those movies are similarly rotten to the core, but they were also charming, had some moral compass and got their comeuppance in the end, even if it is somewhat minimal for say Fight Club, none of which happens in Trainspotting, especially given that the 'comeuppance' that happens at the end of the film is benefitting another unlikable character and making another more likable character in Spud worse off so it means nothing. And at least in those movies, when they were backstabbing one another, those affected were at least ready to take the heat and fight back as opposed to Trainspotting where innocent or unlucky victims are often in the firing line for the main characters' antics (like getting an innocent dog owner attacked by his own dog, one guy unknowingly sleeping with a minor of whom then blackmails him to keep up the relationship and pretty much everything that happens to Spud from having his job interviews messed up by friends to being sent down while friends who helped him in crime walk free).
So here's my underlying problem; there is no substantial enough plot to get the viewer engaged and the characters are too unlikable to make you care enough for the situation. As such, why am I watching in the first place?
After all this, you probably think I hate this movie, but I don't, as I think it's OK. The acting is terrific, it's very stylish and it is entertaining at the least. The film can be funny at points (especially some of movie references thrown about and narration parts) and it does have a wonderful soundtrack. The film's production values are very good for the most part (sans some embarrassingly fake effects like the crawling baby during one of Renton's hallucinations) in terms of cinematography, location shooting and editing (even on a low budget), of which helps to create Trainspotting's unique tone of both bleakness and weird sense of hope, especially towards the end and in certain scenes (like the Worst Toilet In Scotland scene). And even if it potentially dates it somewhat, I do like how it is a great reflection of late 1990s Britain, celebrating both the highs and lows of said culture, making a great historical document in that sense.
But despite this, I'm not a huge fan. Between the lack of a strong plot and any likable characters, Trainspotting may be an easy film to admire, but a very, very hard one to like. It may look very nice and is very well made, but unfortunately has nothing to grab the viewer in terms of anything emotionally driven, a big failing for a drama like this one. So overall, it is OK, but it doesn't hold up as well as it does over 20 years ago. Choose your future, choose life and just choose a better film to watch.