Robert Carlyle Directed by Danny Boyle . Screenplay by John Hodge , based on the novel by Irvine Welsh . By Roger Ebert Those who have ventured into the darker corners of addiction know that one of its few consolations, once the fun has worn off, is the camaraderie with fellow practitioners.
Substance abuse sets the user apart from the daily lives of ordinary people.
No matter how well the addict may seem to be functioning, there is always the secret agenda, the knowledge that the drug of choice is more important than the mundane business at hand, such as friends, family, jobs, play and sex. Because no one can really understand that urgency as well as another addict, there is a shared humor, desperation and understanding among users. The movie, based on a popular novel by Irvine Welsh, is about a crowd of heroin addicts who run together in Edinburgh. What a lad, that Begbie. They have assorted girlfriends, and there is even a baby in the movie, but they are not settled in any way, and no place is home.