Pretty good but not my kind of movie

Rating: 6/10 (21 November 2008)

I had heard of this movie a couple of years ago in relation to some survey of British films(Total film, I think). This movie reportedly ended up on the 4th place. I guess that shows the inherent popularity of this movie set in Edinburgh.
My first reaction was that of indifference. Sure, it was entertaining but it was not as impressive as I thought it would be. But then, I really don't think it was my sort of movie at all.
The plot is as follows. Mark "Rents" Renton(Ewan MacGregor) is a drug addict who spends time injecting heroin along with his friends who can be best described as eccentric and aimless. Begbie is a psychotic man who is surprisingly not a drug addict. In the words of Renton, he gets off on starting fights with random people for no reason in bars. Spud is a guy lacking social skills and who could be described as the nicest person in the group. Sickboy is another weirdo of the group who is absolutely devoid of moral scruples whatsoever. Sick boy can be described as the charismatic face of the group and he is most interested in movies and the pop culture of the time. Tommy is another guy who is not a heroin junkie and becomes one after his girlfriend dumps him over a lost tape(this might be the saddest story of all).
The movie portrays the gradual change of Mark Renton from heroin junkie to respected real estate professional who tries to live the regular life. The sarcasm in this movie is evident in the way Renton describes the supposed normal way of living - a long monologue listing various home appliances and material things in a resigned, monotonous tone. This appears in the beginning and end of the movie.
The movie switches from dark comedy to tragedy to dark comedy again in a matter of minutes which is likely to jolt viewers a bit. There are a few scenes involving scatological references which are not likely to appeal to some people's tastes. Also the relationship of the lead character with an underaged girl may not be palatable to certain people. There is also a very shocking scene(according to me at least) involving a baby which may leave a lasting impression on the viewers.
The movie then deals with the struggles of Renton, who tries to go to rehab and tries to extricate himself from his poisonous friends.
Good points? The soundtrack and movie score is actually pretty good and is one of the high points of the movie. Another positive is the great performance of Ewan MacGregor who stars as Mark Renton. Ewen Bremner is especially noteworthy as Spud and he is the one most likely to elicit some sympathy from viewers. Robert Carlyle as Begbie has given one of the best performances on film(according to me) as the psychotic Begbie. Truly one of the most frightening performances ever. The fast moving screenplay is also one of the positive aspects of the movie.
I recommend this movie to moviebuffs who are interested in the lives of drug addicts and also the youth culture of Edinburgh in 90's. This movie is perfect for people who have a taste for British style dark comedy.
Overall I wasn't so impressed overall but then it just wasn't my type of movie so that influences my opinion obviously.