Vibrant Portrait of Youth

Rating: 8/10 (26 February 2009)

Trainspotting is more than just a "drug" film; it's about a group of people in their early 20s wasting their lives away on excesses that will one day kill them. Danny Boyle gives the film the same boundless energy the characters live with, and the actors give appropriately energetic performances. Ewan McGregor stands out especially, as he gives his character ore depth the any of the others. The film's style evokes Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie, though Boyle is not as flashy as either of the aforementioned two, and this film puts more emphasis on the actual story than the style or dialogue. The depiction of drug use in the film is graphic, though it is not distracting or overly gratuitous. I would rank this film among the ranks of Requiem of a Dream and Traffic, as it delivers a strong anti-drug message while maintaining a compelling plot and well-rounded characters.