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Rating: 10/10 (28 November 1999)

I'm not sure if Danny Boyle, John Hodge, and Andrew MacDonald can make a movie again that has the perfect balance of sick humor, surreal imagery, grunge, drama and truth like TRAINSPOTTING again. From the likes of A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, it's a tough call.
It doesn't matter if you can't get through the thick Scottish accents, you get the main idea as the film, based on the Irvine Welsh novel, goes up and down the downward spiral (like a toilet bowl?).
I don't consider this a pro- or anti- drug movie. It just shows the reasons behind and consequences of heroin abuse, and that is that. Ewan McGregor is such a charming presence here, even as he goes through danky Scotland, stealing money for drugs or drugs from the hospital to trade in for money to get more drugs. Heroin is, it seems, a delictable favorite. But only because the high is so extraordinary, you don't want to come down, so you go back and forth. Addicted to it.
McGregor's Renton is the flawed hero of the movie who can't get off the smack habit no matter how PAINFULLY hard he tries. He's in great company of lowlifes. The equally charismatic Johnny Lee Miller plays Sick Boy, a suave James Bond fan who puts money over his friends any time. Robert Carlyle as Begbie, a beer-swilling hothead who gets high on violence rather than heroin (he's an echo of Alex from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE). Ewen Bremner as Spud, the nerdy follower who is the most luckless of the clan. Kevin McKidd as Tommy, the clean jock-type who strange enough hangs with this group of misfits even though he doesn't do drugs. Kelly MacDonald (in her first movie role) as a temptress schoolgirl who falls for Renton and is as smart as she is unusually mature.
Danny Boyle gives us some very funny and psychedelic moments in this cult fave, all under thumping beats of techno and new wave British pop music. But at the same time he raises some poignant thoughts. Renton tells us to choose life, a job, a big television, washing machines, a big couch to sit on and watch mindnumbing, spirit-crushing game shows. That might not be as satisfying of a life as you wished you had, but it's much better than being forced into slavery with a needle in your arm.