Film 17 of The June Challenge

"We would have injected vitamin C if only they had made it illegal."

You know those films which deal with undeniably bleak subject matter and somehow manage to seamlessly blend that with some (very) black comedy? I think I may have just found the perfect example.

Because in addition to what I just mentioned, this film contains one of the best group of characters I've seen. There's the unhinged psychopath Begbie, terrifyingly brought to life by Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller's amoral Sick Boy and Ewan McGregor's relatively sane (compared to the rest of the group anyway) Mark Renton, whose efforts to kick his heroin habit end up putting most of the plot into…

This film makes me relieved I'm more of an alcohol man than a druggie...

The first time I saw this film some years back (like middle school), the only thing I took away from this is that it was that it was...weird. I didn't quite "get it".
Now after years of learning shit and experiencing shit, I think I finally "get it" and from what I get or think I get, I'm starting to love this.

This gives you an understanding of drug addiction and why drugs are bad without coming off as a PSA. It comes off as a very honest portrayal. It shows us the ins and outs of the drug; what makes it beautiful, ugly, mesmerizing, and…

The word "trainspotting" can mean alot of things.

It literally translates to the phyisical act of watching trains, whether it be for a hobby or for recreation.

It's also commonly used as a term for shooting up heroin because the substance moves through your veins like a train on a track.

In the context of Danny Boyle's masterpiece, the word means all of the above. The life of a heroin addict could be summed up as the act of watching trains. You are watching hundreds of lives pass you by as the train speeds past. There are people going many different places. There are people coming from heartbreaks and there are people heading towards a new life. The addict isn't…

There is many an argument for "The Best British Film Ever".

And this is mine.

Sometimes the best, is merely of the right time. Trainspotting is of the right time for me. And indeed, my generation.

It makes a horrible thing beautiful. Then makes it horrible again. And THEN makes giving up the horrible thing beautiful.

But is it the best British film ever?

Made by a relatively unknown Danny Boyle, starring a relatively unknown cast of Scottish actors (and one Englishman..), it turned nearly everyone involved into superstars. It's marketing campaign at the time, with its one sheet character posters, and its unbelievable soundtrack make Trainspotting the best British film of my lifetime anyway. Which isn't really hard. But…

Danny Boyle is among my favourite directors and Trainspotting further cements this, because everytime I rewatch it it is just as brilliant as last time around. His directorial style is energetic and always on the move and with a brisk 90 minutes Trainspotting is no longer than it needs to be. Many hail this as his best movie and if it wasn't for 28 Days Later I would agree with that sentiment, because it simply does not get much more entertaining than this.

However, despite the light approach Trainspotting is no less shocking than it has to be when dealing with a subject like drug addiction. It is ugly, drained from colours and gritty, both cinematography-wise and plot-wise. The vibrancy…

Film 17 of The June Challenge

"We would have injected vitamin C if only they had made it illegal."

You know those films which deal with undeniably bleak subject matter and somehow manage to seamlessly blend that with some (very) black comedy? I think I may have just found the perfect example.

Because in addition to what I just mentioned, this film contains one of the best group of characters I've seen. There's the unhinged psychopath Begbie, terrifyingly brought to life by Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller's amoral Sick Boy and Ewan McGregor's relatively sane (compared to the rest of the group anyway) Mark Renton, whose efforts to kick his heroin habit end up putting most of the plot into…

Perhaps marginally better than Boyle's debut 'Shallow Grave', 'Trainspotting' takes a fantastically fair look at drug addiction with help from a brilliant source novel and a strong British cast. Boyle's direction is perfectly suited, and his trademark use of pop and rock also fits brilliantly, helping to create a time-capsule that manages to feel both of its time and yet transcend the limitations that such a status may cause.

What's most important is that no judgement is made upon the characters from the filmmakers; all evaluation of acts and morals is made introspectively. Boyle is more involved with telling the story than imposing his opinion on the viewer and that is crucial the film's success. His visual flair is perhaps…