...“Trainspotting” to me, is near perfect...
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Unless you hail from Edinburgh, Scotland and are familiar with the local slang and the way that English is spoken there, Irvine Welsh´s novel "Trainspotting" and subsequently Danny Boyle´s cinematic interpretation of the novel might seem pretty strange and by all accounts, a little out there. Phonetically written the way the words are actually spoken, "Trainspotting" might as well have been written in Klingon or even the nadsat language used in Kubrick´s "A Clockwork Orange". To illustrate what I mean, here is a sample of Welsh´s writing from the first paragraph of the novel:
The sweat wis lashing oafay Sick Boy; he wis trembling. Ah wis jist sitting thair, focusing oan the telly, trying no tae notice the c**t. He wis bringing me doon. Ah tried tae keep ma attention oan the Jean-Claude Van Damme video.
And in the movie, the characters speak pretty much the same way. This quirky fact alone might have easily accorded the novel and the movie instant cult status but luckily, "Trainspotting" is far more captivating and smarter than to just rely on a gimmick and so much better than most people give it credit for. In the movie version of his novel, Irvine Welsh even makes a cameo appearance as a small-time drug peddler, Mikey.
With the release of this new "Collector´s Series" 2-DVD set, Miramax has finally given "Trainspotting" its due recognition--in a definitive albeit identical version that is already available for folks living in regions 2 and 4 in the DVD universe. For this version, not only is the video presentation now anamorphic, a new DTS audio track is also included and there are tons of extras to keep fans of the movie busy clicking on the remote for hours. One thing that I should first clarify is the use of the words "Uncut International Version 2-Disc Set" on the front cover of the DVD. This fact should not faze those who already own the previous bare bones DVD of the movie, thinking that they have been watching an edited version all this time. On the contrary, it is the same version on both releases.
Set in Edinburgh some time in the 1980´s, "Trainspotting" is the bittersweet story of a group of childhood working class friends, where the lads´ mutual addiction to drugs is peddled as a basis for their camaraderie. Told through the eyes and the narration of Mark ´Rent Boy´ Renton (Ewan McGregor), the story heartbreakingly and unnervingly reveals the twisted logic that often accompanies an addict´s shallow justification for his or her habit. Given that only an addict can fully comprehend another addict´s behavior and actions, "Trainspotting" believes in revealing the stark and ugly truth about drug addiction for all to see. Many times it will make you cringe and sometimes you even have to turn your eyes away but all that matters is that what you see is the real deal. For that, the movie has been unjustly attacked as being pro-drug when in fact it has just the exact opposite effect. Watching Renton wade through disgusting feces in his desperation to recover an opiate is probably the best deterrent in stopping someone out there from experimenting with drugs. If anything, that (in)famous toilet scene alone will definitely turn almost anyone away from drugs for good.
Choose life, Choose a job, Choose a career, Choose a family.
According to Renton, life is full of choices--a choice to follow a normal path or a choice simply not to. In his case, Renton chooses to reject the prevalent lemming-like culture and escape reality through the use of hardcore drugs. Together with his mates, Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) and Spud (Ewen Bremner), Renton regularly hangs out at Swanney´s (Peter Mullan), shooting up on their poison of choice--heroin. While these three guys get themselves high as a kite, there are also two other non-drug users in this oddball group of friends. They are Tommy (Kevin McKidd), a straight kid with a penchant for sex and lifting weights and the super volatile and violence-prone Francis ´Franco´ Begbie (Robert Carlyle), who declares in an authoritative tone, ´no way would I poison my body with that shite´. Given the potency of the narcotic and the regularity of having to get a fix, these guys steal and cheat anyone they come into contact with, including friends and family.
Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends.
And so the cycle continues until one day, Renton decides to go cold turkey and kick his habit--which he does a couple of times in the movie. Watch his hilarious preparations before the ´event´ and laugh at the direct consequences of not being on drugs anymore, which include, among others, a heightened libido and a freer bowel movement. That´s one more thing about "Trainspotting"--it does not try to take itself too seriously. With witty dialogue, great acting performances all round and superb editing, Boyle, screenwriter John Hodge and the rest of the cast and crew are able to bring the movie into a realm that is so much more enjoyable than if it had tried to be self-righteous. The playful and sometimes poignant interplay between the highly interesting main characters gives the audience plenty to cheer, laugh and mourn, delicately mixing tears of laughter and sadness. While there is plenty of humor and fun to go around, "Trainspotting" appropriately, also touches on the deadly relationship between the scourge of AIDS and intravenous drug use, banging the audience on the head with a jolting dose of reality.
Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of f***ing fabrics.
While Renton tries to turn his life around by moving to London and landing a legitimate job, his past continue to haunt him in ways that a real friend cannot ignore. But how much of a friendship can one survive if that association brings with it untoward consequences? Would you choose to abandon your junkie and criminal friends for a straight and narrow life that you actually despise? When does keeping the company of these so-called friends turn into a major liability instead of an asset? Taking advantage of those around you is acceptable when you are passing the needle around but when one moves out of that appalling circle, it comes down to, again, a matter of making hard choices. Either you give in and fall right back into the abyss or you cut your losses and leave. Those are the profound questions posed by "Trainspotting", a wickedly funny yet compelling look inside the psyche and the life of a drug addict.
Choose your future. Choose life.
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