Not quite what I expected.

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2019)

I ought to start by saying that I liked the film. I had known about this film for a while, thinking it was something akin to other 1990s crime comedies like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels or The Big Lebowski. In retrospect I suppose that was a bit naive. Trainspotting is often described as a comedy but while it has comedic elements to it the film felt much more like a drama/surreal fever dream. While such imagery would usually remind me of David Lynch the aforementioned comedic elements and the presence of illicit drugs reminded me more of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Francis Bacon in particular was cited as an influence and it makes sense. Dealing with the harsh realities of drug addiction the film certainly wasn't pleasant and kind of hard to watch in parts. But these aren't appealing themes. Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) our protagonist narrates to us his difficulties with social pressure (to get off drugs), shots of the Edinburgh drug scene into which he is immersed, the degradation of his life on drugs, his unreliable friends, and the perceived mediocrity and boredom of life without drugs. As a result, while I can't relate to many of Renton's issues I can still empathize, even though he makes plenty of bad decisions that continue to drive him into a hole. Marking down an opinion then is difficult. While more gritty (and even depressing) than I expected it to be Trainspotting is still enjoyable and you can't say it's not a good movie.