Trainspotting

Released:  July 19th, 1996
Rated:  R

Studio:  Miramax

Staring:  Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald

Directed by:  Danny Boyle

Written by:  John Hodge

Personal Bias Alert:  has a dark sense of humor, doesn’t do drugs

9 of 10

           Ain’t Danny Boyle great?  He’s got such flair, such style.  His films are peppy; they bounce off the walls, threatening to burst out of the screen.  He notably hopped for joy on the Oscar stage, explaining that he had promised his children to receive the moment in the spirit of Tiger from Winnie the Pooh if he was so lucky to win.  Although, he’s never apologized for his spirit.  He palpably loves filmmaking, and that energy makes me predisposed to liking his films because, hey, I love films, too.

            “Trainspotting” is one of his more effervescent directorial efforts, bounding along through its character’s lives even when there’s dark turns.  It’s easy to forget, especially early on in the film, how crappy these people’s lives really are.  They’re all heroin addicts, bumbling from hit to hit, constantly broke, willing to degrade themselves to maintain their habit.  But Boyle keeps us slightly removed from the proceedings, and the camera observes them with an arched brow, like the friend who hangs around because he finds your antics amusing.

            The main group is a volatile hoot, each so lost to their own individual faults that you know they can’t exist together for long without blowing something up.  Most often it’s their own lives that go down, and in the lesser falls Boyle and editor Masahiro Hirakubo find their comedy stride.  For instance, I was laughing aloud when main character Renton (Ewan McGregor) was listing off the things you need to quite heroin and ends matter-of-factly with “one last hit.”  We all know that attitude is a recipe for failure, and the editing and accompanying music cues invite us to laugh at Renton’s dreary situation.

            There is a turn, about thirty minutes in, when their situation stops being funny.  It’s a perfectly timed transition, having allowed us the space to connect and sympathize with the characters before the rug is pulled out from under us.  While the comedy largely gets left behind, the movie continues to amble on at its lively pace, which dulls the blows it continuously hits us with.  The events in this film are just as disturbing and hopeless as anything seen in other drug horror stories like “Requiem for a Dream” or “A Scanner Darkly,” but Boyle wisely avoids making things too dour.  We all know the destructive power of addiction, and perhaps this sort of presentation gives us a better idea of why people cling to it so fervently.  But what do I know, I’ve never been an addict.

             As I’ve mentioned before, the camerawork has a strong influence on how the audience views the proceedings.  It responds to the mood of the scene, drawing the audience along for the ride.  It jostles when a character’s excited, observes the absurd humor of a situation, and wraps you up in a rug to carry you through a high (that literally happens).  Boyle is known for his creative camerawork, and here it is integral to maintaining the film’s pace.  Through the darkest moments it tugs you right along, never allowing you to dwell on any one disaster.

            “Trainspotting” is a fast-paced little film, jamming in an absurd amount of story in 93 minutes.  The plot points aren’t always as fleshed out as they could be, but it’s an acceptable sacrifice in light of the tone the film is able to hit.  It won’t leave you smiling, but it’s one of the more enjoyable ways to spend time with self-absorbed drug addicts.

            Other Notes:

Ø  Oh Miramax, I miss you what you used to be.

Ø  Those shots of McGregor falling and hitting his head make me cringe.  How did they film those without hurting him?

Ø  “What a penetrating goal that was.”  He he, context.

Ø  Did I miss the train?