Film Information
A jolt of adrenaline shot straight to the heart of 1990s British cinema, this darkly funny adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel was a major breakthrough for director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge. Kinetically cut to an iconic soundtrack of techno, rock, and Brit-pop, this indie phenomenon chooses life in all its ugly, beautiful, terrifying exhilaration.
Set in gritty, late 1980s Edinburgh, Scotland, it’s the story of smart, funny, sickly, heroin addict Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his so-called friends - a bunch of losers, liars, psychos, thieves and junkies. Hilarious but harrowing, the film charts the disintegration of their friendship as they proceed, seemingly inevitably, towards self-destruction. Mark alone has the insight and opportunity to escape his fate, but does he really want to “choose life”?
Reviews
"Each shot hits like a high, making it clear that Boyle’s addiction to the cinematic image, though not dangerous, is as similarly unremitting as Renton’s love affair with the spike." – Slant
Film Stills
