Not Just a "Drug Movie"

Rating: 10/10 (9 April 2011)

I don't much care for drug movies. The majority of them are far too extreme toward one side or the other: glorifying or demonizing drugs. Take for example "Scarface" (drugs will give you the strength to take on an entire army of would-be assassins before a coward finally gets you from behind) or "Requiem For a Dream" (drugs will make you lose your arm, go to prison, wind up in a mental hospital, and/or perform carnal acts to satisfy your heroin addiction). That being said, I consider "Trainspotting" to be the first of these so-called "drug movie" to find moderation. Yes, Renton and friends do find themselves in drug filled euphoria in some scenes, but for every good time, there is also bad. The characters go through changes and are hardly recognizable by the end. All in all Danny Boyle did a magnificent job directing this film, John Hodge did the same adapting it, and Ewan McGregor and co. did amazingly portraying it. 10/10