But why would anyone want to do a thing like that?

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2009)

I have not read the novel, though I might consider it. This is one of the best British films made, as well as one of the best about drug use. It is not for everyone; if you can't watch a movie that depicts addiction if it doesn't only show the negatives(and, let's be honest, most of those ridiculously exaggerate them) of it without screaming "this glorifies the use of *insert name of narcotic here*!", you are not in the target audience. Guess what? That approach doesn't work, it doesn't deter, lying in order to scare kids away from things you don't want them messing with costs you credibility and does not, in fact, always prevent them from pursuing whatever you were trying to get them to steer clear of. I would also like to point out that this is rather unapologetically disgusting, and you'll want to not eat for a while before or after your viewing. And if you're still interested in this after those two pieces of information, then I would suggest you give this a chance. It's engaging from start to finish; frankly, I could not take my eyes off it. Even if you've never seen a junkie, you can get into this. It gives you an unforgettable peek at the environment. The characters are well-developed, credible and fully fleshed out. While you may not like them, you can't keep from having a reaction to them; you can't tell yourself "there's no one like that in the real world". There is marvelous social commentary and satire in this. This is hilarious, the humor is immensely sharp and well-delivered, almost no joke or gag falls flat, and it does not try too hard. The music is magnificent. Boyle directs this in a stylish(*not* to be confused with "flashy") and experimental manner, and every moment of it is treated to excellent camera-work and editing, leading to numerous unique sequences. There is a lot of strong language, a little sex, brief nudity, quite a bit of disturbing content and some violence in this. The DVD comes with a couple of interviews, well worth the time. I recommend this to everyone mature enough to handle it. 10/10