With God's help I'll conquer this terrible affliction.

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2007)

The last time I remember seeing someone going through withdrawal was Frank Sinatra in The Man With the Golden Arm: "You mean just stop? Cold turkey? You don't understand! The pain..."
Renton (Ewan McGregor) was a little more expressive: "I don't feel the sickness yet, but it's in the post. That's for sure. I'm in the junkie limbo at the moment. Too ill to sleep. Too tired to stay awake, but the sickness is on its way. Sweat, chills, nausea. Pain and craving. A need like nothing else I've ever known will soon take hold of me. It's on its way."
The truth about drugs and the awful toll it take is clearly shown here. The most awful moment come after the baby dies and the mother is quick to "relieve her pain." The most disgusting moment was the toilet: an apt illustration of just what you will do for drugs. The amorality of sex with a schoolgirl is also apropos.
This film is funny at times, but certainly there was no glamor. It was just some sick people with their lives going in circles.
John Hodge's screenplay was magnificent. Danny Boyle's (Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later...) direction was super. Along with McGregor, the performances of Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty, Human Trafficking) and Kelly Macdonald (What's her connection to Sinatra?) were impressive.