Trainspotting

“Trainspotting” gets you hooked from the very first frame. The angles and camera work, the way the narration is delivered, the frank honesty on display make for one powerful film about an ugly subject.

Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) is a heroin addict living in Edinburgh who wishes (and sometimes doesn't) to escape the drug scene. As his friends prove, the allure and influence of that juice flowing through your veins is difficult to overcome.

The way heroin addiction is displayed here raised controversy when it was first released. I think it’s brilliantly handled. The choice of music and particularly the way the camera is used helps simulate and understand the experience. We're not talking about people walking around with lizard heads or waves of color overtaking the screen. It’s characters speaking honestly: “Take the best orgasm you've ever had... multiply it by a thousand, and you're still nowhere near it. “ Or simple special effects that show characters falling into a state of euphoria, with only the ground sinking beneath them and their faces to indicate what words fail to. It sounds and looks heavenly, which is absolutely critical to the film’s success. You understand why these people do it, but the second you’re tempted to emulate their behavior (I would never be able to, needles freak me out too much), you realize that outside of that short bubble of revelry, it’s nothing but ugliness."Sick Boy" (Jonny Lee Miller) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle) are deplorable, pathetic people on a continuous down spiral that sometimes has nothing to do with the drug. Even the "innocent" ones like "Spud" (Ewen Bremner) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd) are in danger merely by association.

It’s a picture that’ll make your skin crawl, contains nightmarish developments and horrid people that you pray you’ll never meet. Simultaneously, it's an oil painting of a battlefield by a Renaissance master, it’s so well made it becomes a joy to watch. Even with a dangerously charismatic protagonist like Renton some of what happens here is pure nightmare fuel, but you don’t want to miss a second. The dialogue is filled with wall-to-wall iconic and memorable monologs or exchanges. The film is that much more powerful because you do find yourself somewhat wooed by what's happening. As the story develops, you breathe a sigh of relief that you are free to escape once the credits are over. It’s more than a passive way to pass time. It’s an experience.

There are many points where “Trainspotting” shows such adeptness that it’ll go over your head. It’s a seamless film. When I first heard that a sequel to “Trainspotting” was in the works, I felt uneasy. Now, I’m looking forward to it. Where will this talented team of actors and filmmakers take us to next? (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 8, 2017)