Hard-Hitting & Disgustingly Funny

Rating: 9/10 (24 September 2014)

Disgusting. Disturbing. Funny. Emotional. Riveting. Breathtaking. Just a few words I'd use to describe Trainspotting.
I first saw this movie when it was released way back in 1995, and I honestly didn't know what to make of it. After watching it again, almost 20 years later, I've come to the conclusion that it is indeed a true classic.
Now, a good few people will think (and will try and tell you) that this movie glamourises drugs & crime. In brutal honesty, though, those people don't know what they are talking about because this movie does anything BUT glamourise that lifestyle. The only thing it "glamourises" is the actual supposed high you get from taking these drugs, but that is fleeting because it quickly brings you down to earth with a massive bang. From showing you the squalor that these people live in for the majority of the time, the mishaps that they get into, and what happens to some of them, if this is "glamourising" then I'd hate to see what a movie that is against drugs & crime is like.
For me this movie tells you one basic message - if you take drugs and live a life of crime then this is what your life will end up being like. The acting and performances are nothing short of fantastic and the actors will make you feel less & less sympathetic (if you have any in the first place) towards any of their characters. Renton - very likable & you always hope that he beats his habit; Spud - again, is likable and you end up feeling sorry for him as he's just one of those lemming-type's of people that follows his "friends"; Sickboy - just purely selfish and uncaring; Begbie - a really vicious b***ard, always looking for an excuse to fight, and you always hope he get's his comeuppance; Tommy - the sensible one of the bunch (or is he?).
This is a really powerful movie, and is not really for the feint of heart as it's pretty disturbing (as well as gross) in a good few scenes. In saying that, though, it most definitely makes for compelling viewing.
Definitely recommended.