One fantastic movie

Author: Diane from WA USA
20 March 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I saw this movie last year as a friend had it on DVD from the UK and, being a Ewan McGregor fan, I thought I'd give it a shot even though it's considered an 'artsy' film. I was so shocked! It is a fantastic movie. I watched it over & over until she made me give it back. The young Ewan gives an Oscar-worthy (why he wasn't nominated is beyond me) turn as the heroin addict trying to pull himself out and away from his addict buddies. He narrates the whole film with that rich Scot accent of his (reminds me of my Scottish grandparents) which gives even more depth to the characters and situations.

The descent into the hell of addiction to the death of an innocent baby (very realistic) in their 'home', Ewan swimming through a vast sea of crap (yes, THAT kind) in a toilet, on through the entire film showing his constant struggle within himself amidst his friends to stay clean & sober is amazing. I could go on and on. It brings a memory of another film I saw years ago with a young Leo DiCaprio & David Thewlis in a little-seen movie called "Total Eclipse" and which is also considered an "art" film and really quite good. If you get a chance to see this, please do. You will not be sorry. If you happen to find it on DVD, BUY IT.

 A junkie film that bites

Author: Hostile Domicile from Perth, Western Australia
9 October 2002

I've seen a lot of films that are either pro or most of the time anti-drugs, this film is neither.The film makers just want to tell a simple story of a junkie, Renton, played very well by Ewan McGregor, who struggled to get out from Glasgow's drug scene and in the process fighting the gravitational pull of his friends and the drug itself. No preaching and that made this film wonderful.

The portrayal of drug use and effects of its depravity are disturbing and surreal and fresh owing to Danny Boyle's style of shaky camera movements.Robert Carlyle's performance as Begbie is brilliant, even though most of the times I don't quite understand what he is talking about because the dialogue is extremely "Welsh" (from author Irvine Welsh).Worth watching: 10/10