THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 20, 1996 TAG: 9608210363
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: 71 lines
``TRAINSPOTTING'' IS an alarm clock that refuses to be quieted.
As a study of heroin addicts who are quite casual about their situation, it is funny without being funny. The sex scenes are relentlessly sexless. The grossness is brutally unindulgent. More than any film about drugs before it, it refuses to conform to the earnest concerns of social behavior. In an all-out and disturbingly threatening assault, it dares to suggest what it calls ``a truthful and sincere junk habit'' that is filled with both pleasures and horrors.
As such, it may be somewhere near reality - a reality that most sensible people would rather keep at a distance.
Set in Scotland, the actors have thick burrs that are often indiscernible, but the metaphors for the blur between reality and illusion are clearly there. The boys, in spite of their anti-hero stance, are appealing. That, in fact, is both the film's charm and its repulsion. These guys choose heroin not because they want to kill themselves, but because they like it. Yet in no way could the film be said to glorify drugs.
The central character and narrator is Renton, portrayed in a star-making role by Ewan McGregor, who is so physical that many of his best scenes have no talking. (He is also on view currently in the decidedly more delicate ``Emma.'') When he does talk, he defends his habit rather than condemning it, saying things like ``Take the best orgasm you ever had, multiply it by a thousand and you're still nowhere near it.'' As a character, he is unredeemable - stealing TV sets from old folks' homes to pay for his habit - yet he manages to get sympathy from the audience. Most of all, he has the demeanor of the rebel that has always been a box office attraction to the latest generation, whatever the year.
The supporting cast seems to not be working at all as they convincingly suggest people like Spud, a perennial underdog; Begbie, a psychotic who prefers alcohol to drugs; and Sick Boy, who is an expert on James Bond movies. Kelly MacDonald is the underage Diana who, too instantly, brings some stability into Renton's existence.
At a lean 94 minutes, Danny Boyle's direction is notable for its energy. There is not a dull moment - including one of the more disgusting scenes you'll ever see in any movie. It involves swimming in a toilet. It's going to be the most talked about scene of this movie year.
The title, ``Trainspotting,'' refers to a pointless practice that British males with nothing to do undertake. They record the numbers of passing trains - a comparison, one supposes, for the equally pointless drug practice.
The film has no big ending, just a big beginning and middle that challenge our tolerance. There is no question that ``Trainspotting'' is important and daring filmmaking that presents a lifestyle without apologies.
You have been warned, but those who choose it will not forget it or its hapless characters. You may want to turn away, but this energetic, driving film demands that attention be paid. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
LIAM LONGMAN/Miramax Films
From left, Ewen Bremner, Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle provide a
look at the rougher side of life in ``Trainspotting.''
Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Trainspotting''
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert
Carlyle, Kelly MacDonald
Director: Danny Boyle
Screenplay: John Hodge
MPAA rating: R (nudity, language, drug use)
Mal's rating: Three stars
Locations: Lynnhaven Mall (lower level), Virginia Beach;
Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake by CNB