Blu-ray Review
Trainspotting
Directed by: Danny Boyle Cast: Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Johnny Lee Miller Running Time: 1 hr 35 min Rating: R Due Out: September 13, 2011
PLOT: A group of heroin addicts in Edinburgh have a grand old time. That is, until things start going bad. Renton (McGregor) wants to get off the "skag" and move on with his life. But it becomes clear that his friends won't let that happen.
WHO'S IT FOR? Anyone who likes movies... and has a strong stomach. There's some gross stuff in this movie.
MOVIE:
I'm not sure that I've seen this movie since it was in the theater. I actually saw it opening night at Cinema 21. Trainspotting was a really exciting movie when it came out; it was about young, cool people and featured great music. Stylistically, it's constantly demanding your attention, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have an emotional core. When the film was released in 1996, it was Boyle's second film, long before he won the Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire. It's similar to that movie a bit, lots of running, sometimes gross, it's about young people in a world with minimal adult supervision making choices. Plus they both have a great sense of pace. The cast is pretty great too, McGregor, Kevin McKidd, Johnny Lee Miller, Kelly Macdonald and Shirley Henderson, all of whom were unknown then.
It actually aged really well. Trainspotting is still compelling, it moves super fast. The main difference is what looked glamorous and scary at 17 looks more like crazy foolishness at 32. The real genius of the film is how I follow along with all the choices Renton makes, no matter how bad it is, it feels honest in the world of the film. Plus the music is so great, I used to love this soundtrack so much. The Blu-ray looks good too, if you've been waiting to buy a copy of Trainspotting, now wold be the time.
MOVIE SCORE: 8/10
EXTRAS
Audio Commentary by Danny Boyle, Andrew MacDonald, John Hodge and Ewan McGregor
Trainspotting Retrospective
The Making of Trainspotting
Deleted Scenes
Cannes
Gallery
Theatrical Teaser
Theatrical Trailer