Wolff rating: GOOD
Plot summary: Disturbing tale of a band of heroin junkies in Scotland.
Biased, pithy comments: This is a morally ambiguous look at drug use and the culture of using that builds up around it. There are some very funny moments in this, some very scatalogical moments in this, and there are lots of very hallucenogenic moments in it. Still---good pace, strong acting, compelling, and a mix of happy/sad/reality in it that makes it one of the most interesting stories about drug culture from the inside looking out. I especially like the narrative style of the movie; it feels like you're reading a frugally written novel very quickly, and comes up with excellent visual metaphors for what would be powerful writing. As for whether or not it's pro-drug or anti-drug, it's neither; it's about using, and it just shows people who do it who aren't monsters. It's hardly glamourizing, however. McGregor is excellent, as is most of the rest of the cast.
Other Notes: Based on a novel by Irvine Welsh. To date (March 1997), the second highest grossing UK movie ever, just behind ``Four Weddings and a Funeral.''
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremmer, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle.
Directed by: Danny Boyle