Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996, UK/USA)

Trainspotting is Danny Boyle's breakout second feature. Marketed as Britain's answer to Quentin Tarantino, Trainspotting was evidence that British cinema in the 1990s was more than Merchant Ivory. It also launched the careers of several actors, the most significant being Ewan McGregor, who, only a few years later, would topline George Lucas's rebooted Star Wars franchise as young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Based on the novel by Scottish author Irvine Welsh, John Hodge's script tells the story of a group of heroin addicts in Edinburgh, Scotland. While many viewed the events of the film as taking place in the current day (the mid-90s), the events of the film take place in the late 1980s.

Few scenes are more iconic than the film's opening, set to Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life," in which Ewan McGregor as our protagonist is on the run for petty theft. John Hodge's script notably centers the action around Mark Renton, and he becomes the most sympathetic character (if you can call him that) in a group of highly unsympathetic characters. Yet rarely have unsympathetic characters been drawn with such detail. Mark's odyssey in and out of addiction is truly that - an odyssey. There are stylistic and flourishes here that indicate that Danny Boyle was well on his way to becoming a major studio director.

Anchored by a tremendous soundtrack, as well as a distinct visual style, Trainspotting is a unique visual experience. Blurring the line between reality and unreality, the film is a trip in more than one sense. Yet there are little joys to be had here - even the characters' costumes are something to behold. Trainspotting is a piece of the gutter of Scottish life that is a cult classic and is always worthy of revisiting. Few films are as quotable, particularly Mark's monologue about choosing life.

10/10