Review #1,204: 'T2 Trainspotting' (2017)

As we are frequently reminded during the course of T2, it's been 20 years since Danny Boyle's iconic and culturally eye-opening Trainspotting. Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his cronies, in a monologue no doubt quotable to anybody who was a teenager in 1996, famously decided not to choose life, and instead were on course for a wasted existence of heroin addiction and crime. The main question asked by this sequel is: Was it worth it? The group fans were so eager to see back together may have less hair and more body fat, but they have finally put aside personal squabbles (McGregor and Boyle made up after the former was overlooked in favour of Leonard Di Caprio for The Beach) and worked around ongoing contracts to reunite. While T2 struggles to find a consistent tone and somewhat falls apart during its final act, it will no doubt put a smile on any fan's face.

The fragility of male machismo and the sudden emergence of middle-age are key themes running throughout the film, constantly harking back and reminding the audience with sly nods of how much fun these guys were 20 years ago. Trainspotting began with a skinny, pale-faced Renton running from store security, but here he runs dead-eyed on a treadmill. Although it would seem that Renton successfully put himself on the straight-and-narrow in Amsterdam after robbing his friends blind at the climax of the first film, he finds himself compelled to visit his past after suffering a medical scare. Returning to Edinburgh, not much has changed. Simon, aka Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), is still running scams, now with his Bulgarian 'girlfriend' Veronica (Anjela Nedyalkova); Spud (Ewen Bremner) lives alone and is hated by his embarrassed son, successfully getting himself off heroin before making his way back to it; and the psychopathic Begbie (Robert Carlyle) is behind bars serving a 25 year jail term.

Irvine Welsh's sequel to the hit novel, Porno, has been talked about as a film adaptation ever since the first film struck so many chords with its audience. T2 is not this adaptation, but instead takes inspiration from Porno, as well as unused material from its predecessor, to create an original story. A straight-forward follow-up would not have done the fans justice. The cultural impact was so significant that Trainspotting played a big part in many young people's lives, to the point where just to hear the opening few seconds of Lou Reed's Perfect Day or Underworld's Born Slippy could transport any 30-40 year old back to their youth. Boyle knows this, and teases us in a scene where Renton re-visits his childhood home and fiddles with a record player. The stomping drums of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life pumps out before he suddenly takes the needle off the record. In that split second, the excitement comes flooding back. Yet T2 isn't just a trip down nostalgia lane, it confronts you with the difficult question of whether or not you are where you thought you'd be when life seemed more care-free.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle infuses the sequel with a modern energy, opting for a more colourful palette made dirtier with digital grain. It contrasts the films' two different styles by slotting in actual scenes from the original, often juxtaposing events happening now with the characters' memories. The main conflict revolves around Begbie's escape from prison and his learning of Renton's reemergence in Edinburgh, as well as Sick Boy's resentment of his former best friend robbing him of his share in the drug deal gone right. Begbie uneasily shifts between comic relief and genuine antagonist, and Boyle seems unsure what to do with the character. The biggest revelation is Bremner's Spud, who is still the most sympathetic reprobate ever to emerge from Welsh's text. Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge ingeniously find a way to make him front and centre, turning this into his story, and Bremner's performance is truly heartbreaking. A mishandled climax and a lack of development for Veronica means that T2 falls way short of its predecessor, and this will perhaps not have the same impact on any audience members who saw Trainspotting outside of the '90s. But for those of us who did, this is a welcome send-off.


Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Anjela Nedyalkova
Country: UK

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,102: 'Sunshine' (2007)

Danny Boyle's under-performing attempt to rekindle audience interest in the philosophical sci-fi genre so successful in the 1970s plays out very much like an object hurtling towards the Sun - thrilling, dazzling and often overwhelming at first, before quickly burning out and being swallowed up by the enormity of the themes it attempts to explore. 2007's Sunshine ponders a future in which humanity is facing extinction as the Sun powering the planet is burning itself out. A last-gasp mission sees the crew of Icarus II travel for five years through space with a bomb the size of Manhattan in the hope of reigniting the Sun's flames.

Of course, there was also an Icarus I, captained by a man named Pinbacker (Mark Strong), which disappeared seven years earlier carrying out the same mission. When a distress signal is picked up from the lost ship, the crew of Icarus II, captained by the enigmatic Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada), are faced with the dilemma of either carrying on with their mission, or answering the call and picking up a second bomb in the process, and therefore doubling their chances of saving humanity. Physicist Capa (Cillian Murphy) makes the decision to set a new course, much to the frustration of level-headed engineer Mace (Chris Evans). However, navigator Trey (Benedict Wong) forgets to realign the ship's shield as it changes course, throwing the entire mission into jeopardy.

The film captures the claustrophobia and restlessness of the cramped surroundings and characters incredibly well. The crew often feel as if they are hunched over, as if being slowly swallowed up by the deadly beast that is their destination. Even the on-board garden, a self-sustaining eco-system which supplies the ship's oxygen, tended to by botanist Corazon (Michelle Yeoh), feels oddly suffocating. Boyle's trademark eye for visuals also helps give the film a sweaty, scolding vibe. An entire room on the Icarus II seems to be dedicated solely to appreciating the Sun's sheer power, as the crew, in particular psychiatrist Searle (Cliff Curtis), sit and stair in utter awe. Sunshine begins rather slow, but Boyle takes this time to sculpt an incredible sense of atmosphere.

Boyle's desire to contemplate the larger questions is ultimately the film's downfall. In the early scenes, the mere presence of the Sun looming just behind that massive shield and the way Boyle captures it is enough to start audience's comparing the star's influence to that of God, and the crew's mission to save humanity by conquering something of such unfathomable power has enough religious connotations on its own. The climax sees the arrival of a mysterious being on the ship that may or may not be supernatural, and it just doesn't work. A lot was written at the time about the Sunshine's descent into slasher territory, and although I can applaud the attempt to muddle genres and take the story in a completely different direction, I have to agree with the criticism. Instead of inviting discussion as the credits roll, it simply left me disappointed at the squandered potential.


Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Troy Garity, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cliff Curtis, Benedict Wong, Mark Strong
Country: UK/USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #986: 'Steve Jobs' (2015)

Since his death in 2011, the world - including those who had never heard of the turtle-neck-sporting tech genius and innovator - has come to learn that the great Steve Jobs was in fact a massive dick. Like every great man, the flaws in his personality have been forgiven or excused in favour of a 'tortured genius' label, but this has not stopped various movies and documentaries cropping up to try and paint a true-to-life picture. Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs, starring Michael Fassbender in the title role, likes to think that his humanity emerged with his advancing years, as he went about literally changing the way we live our lives.

If you're someone who proudly boasts about the lack of a Facebook profile or prefers to stare out of the window during a bus-ride as opposed to staring open-mouthed at your phone, then the tech-worship and subtle hints at the innovations Jobs would go on to create may completely pass you by. I like to think I'm one of those people, but I felt like I may as well be carrying a spear and wearing a bear-skin when the 3G disappeared from my phone the other day. The film's narrative disregards the traditional biopic formula in favour of three 30 minute-plus acts, each set just before the launch of three of Jobs most famous creations - the Apple Macintosh in 1984, the NeXT computer in 1988, and the game-changing iMac in 1998.

Throughout the years, a set of key characters mingle and/or class with Jobs. Headstrong marketing executive Joan Hoffman (Kate Winslet) tries to bring the best out of her boss, but is visibly appalled when he repeatedly denies that he is the father of Lisa (played by Makenzie Moss, Ripley Sobo and Perla Haney-Jardine at various ages), often to her face. Old friend Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) asks him to acknowledge the efforts of the Apple II team during his presentation, much to Jobs' disgust, but fails when Jobs is fired by Apple after the failure of the Macintosh. His boss John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) finds himself blamed for Jobs' sacking in the media when he repeatedly stuck up for him and warned him of the repercussions of failing to lower the Macintosh's price.

Fassbender, although sharing little physical resemblance to the man, is outstanding, playing Jobs with a faint (and ironic) disconnection to the world and little grasp of how he is perceived by others. Aaron Sorkin, who is on script duties, goes overtime with the fast and jargon-heavy talk, and the film is rich with his signature corridor-pacing conversations. The decision to condense his key years into three acts offers a fresh take on the usual incident-by-incident biographies, but it also means that characters are ushered into scenes unnaturally to resolve their personal conflict, with Wozniak especially reduced to a conduit for the audience. Boyle's direction is refreshingly unflashy when compared to the senses-rattling Trance (2013), and instead allows his actors and their quick-fire dialogue to breathe freely. It certainly falls short the other biopic of a technological innovator - The Social Network (2010) - but, despite its flaws, it still manages to find a soul within its obnoxious bully.

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, Katherine Waterston, John Ortiz

Country: USA/UK

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #790: 'Trainspotting' (1996)

Has Britain ever produced a film so influential on pop culture? Whether it be the stylish posters, portraying it's various colourful characters in a manner of poses, decorated with that eye-catching use of orange and white, the use of title cards at the beginning of the film introducing us to the line-up of junkies, thugs and pushers who inhabit the film, or that memorable soundtrack, which tapped into the underground rave culture of the 1990's, Trainspotting was the most iconic film since 1994's Pulp Fiction. But, an alarming 18 years on, does Trainspotting still maintain it's raw power and grimy hipness? The answer is yes, with a touch of no.

Most of the controversy surrounding the film at the time was it's unflinching, and some would say glamorous, portrayal of heroin addiction. The opening 15 minutes is a relentless, highly energetic introduction to the Edinburgh drug scene, where addict Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) informs us of the delights of heroin, a life choice for the characters in the film as opposed to the 2 point 4 children suburban life we're all meant to be striving for, where washing machines, dental insurance, and electric tin openers are necessities. Why does he prefer to spend time shooting drugs with a bunch of low-lives, sat in the squalor of a drug dealer's house? Who needs reasons when you've got heroin, Renton tells us.

But the style doesn't eclipse the substance. Director Danny Boyle, making his second film after the excellent Shallow Grave (1994), is wise enough to keep focus. Renton's life is fascinating and sometimes exciting to watch, but it doesn't make us want to move to a council estate in Edinburgh and spend time with these types of people. Renton's closest 'friends' include pimp Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), an expert in James Bond trivia; the speed-addled Spud (Ewen Bremner); the clean-cut, weight-lifting Tommy (Kevin McKidd); and the sovereign-wearing, utterly terrifying psychopath Begbie (Robert Carlyle). And with heroin, comes destruction. Boyle shows us an overdose beautifully scored to Lou Reed's 'Beautiful Day', and a truly ugly cold turkey scene.

But the film has becomes a victim of it's own stylish choices. Back in 1996, Trainspotting felt fresh, exciting, and slightly dangerous, but it's been ripped-off so many times in such a lazy and poor fashion that it has become slightly dated. Just three years ago, another Irvine Welsh adaptation, Ecstacy, adopted the same poster layout as this. Don't get me wrong, Trainspotting is still an excellent film, it has just lost some of it's youthful vigour and confrontational attitude that served it so well almost two decades ago. McGregor is excellent: a charming, charismatic, yet often repulsive narrator akin to Malcolm McDowell's Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange (1971), and his mug will no doubt decorate the walls of many a student house for years to come. Still one of the most important films to come out of Britain, just a slightly damaged one.


Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Peter Mullan
Country: UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #720: 'Trance' (2013)

British film-maker Danny Boyle has always relied on his eye for the fresh and stylish to give his movies a real rush. Trance is no different, and what may appear on the surface to be yet another heist film full of sharp suits and crisp cinematography, it is anything but. The twists and turns may leave your brain spinning - it is comparable in many ways to that other recent head-scratcher, Inception (2010) - but it is how it plays with its various characters that makes the film so alluring. It starts out by breaking the fourth wall and has art-dealer Simon (James McAvoy) narrating his way through a rather bland Goya theft, but the film then beings to play with these early conceptions and ultimately makes it hard to get out of head.

Thug Franck (Vincent Cassel) and his crew successfully steal a rare Goya painting up for auction from under the watchful nose of auctioneer Simon, who, after being hit on the head by a shotgun, is unable to remember anything from the robbery. It turns out that Simon was in on it all along but has double-crossed Franck and hidden the painting for himself, only now he can't remember where he put it. Enter hypnotherapist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson), who uses the trance like state that Simon so easily falls into to try and unlock the secrets he seems to be subconsciously unwilling to reveal. Elizabeth must go deeper into Simon's subconscious, but as the revelations keep coming, Simon finds is difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is not.

It sounds like a bit of a silly set-up, and admittedly the film does require the audience's patience, as it soon becomes clear that the painting may just be a McGuffin, and there's bigger and darker secrets simmering under the surface that the film takes delight in slowly unravelling. Such a thing may be significantly damaging to a film's credibility, but Boyle's visual flair keeps the action suitably exciting to distract from the negatives, and he has once again teamed up with Underworld co-founder Rick Smith to deliver a pulsating soundtrack. It is unfortunate, however, that the film feels the need to descend into gratuitous violence during the climax, darkening the film's tone far too drastically.

A lot of the film's success is down to the performance of James McAvoy, who rounds up a successful 2013 with a second impressive performance (along with Filth). It's a role that requires a character shift so sudden that his work here can only be admired. Dawson is also suitably spunky, finally given a role that suits her acting style. And a lot of the film hinges on the likeability of the actors, because as the revelations come - and they are thick and fast in the last 30 minutes - personalities change and backgrounds are revealed, and the audience needs to be fully invested in these characters to want to see out the rest of the film with them. As the credits roll and you sit rather confused (and possibly a bit pissed off), you may be somewhat dismayed by the experience, but once it sinks in, Trance becomes an intriguing experience.


Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassel
Country: UK/France

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #23: '127 Hours' (2010)

It was a wonder what direction Danny Boyle would take after the phenomenal success, both critically and commercially, of 2008's Slumdog Millionaire. He has always been a independent director, and even when taking on larger projects such as Sunshine (2007) and The Beach (2000), he has always maintained that low-budget feel. I always look forward to anything Boyle does, and even though I have an almost resentful attitude toward Slumdog due to it's overrated success, I was pleased to hear that he had decided to stick to what he does best and make relatively low-key film that is practically a one-man show. It is also nice that 127 Hours is one of his best.

In 2003, reckless thrill-seeker Aron Ralston went rock-climbing and hiking in the canyons of Utah without telling anyone where he was. He meets a couple of female hikers who he takes to a hidden pool and has a bit of fun with before departing to wander the plains on his own. In a bizarre accident, Ralston slips on a loose boulder and falls into a canyon, the boulder falling with him and landing on his arm, completely trapping him. It takes some time for the gravity of the situation to hit Ralston after some initial confusion. He must work out how to escape his predicament or accept his fate, with only a few tools including a blunt pen knife, and very little water for company. It will be of no surprise to know that Aron Ralston does survive the ordeal, and famously had to cut off his own arm with said pen knife in order to escape. The skill of Boyle as a director, and the acting ability of James Franco as our hero, combine to make the film as exciting and nail-biting as a story can be when we already know the outcome.

It must have been an ordeal to figure out how to make a 90-minute film about one man stuck in one place for over five days. Kudos goes to editor Jon Harris and cinematographers Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle for using all the tricks in the book to make the visuals consistently interesting and never allowing the action to drag. As Ralston begins to hallucinate as his water rationing begins to take it's toll, a combination of split-screens, distorted colours and inserts from pop culture allow us to be placed into the character's damaged state. The camerwork and editing is fast and flashy, much like the character of Aron Ralston himself - always living fast, sometimes too fast for his own good. It's obvious that Danny Boyle is in a deft hand when directing his films this way. It's evident in the fantastic Trainspotting (1996), as Ewan McGregor's Renton goes cold turkey on his heroin addiction, and in the first hour of Slumdog, as he depicts the madness and colour of the slums. It would be difficult to see imagine another director taking on such as challenge with so much confidence and flair.

Which moves us to James Franco's Oscar-nominated lead performance. If this film is a reliable source, and due to the fact it has received Ralston's stamp of authenticity I imagine it is, Aron Ralston is a complete nob head, and is exactly the type of person I would avoid in real life. He is careless, arrogant and cocky, and is only interested in fulfilling his own desires. Franco manages to convince of this totally, and yet I found myself rooting for him as his situation worsens. It's a staggering performance, and from the other I've seen in the Best Actor category (Jeff Bridges and Jesse Eisenberg), he is my favourite. It's a performance of maturity, and in some scenes he is reminiscent of a young Robert De Niro. It's not mean feat to carry a 90 minute film almost completely by yourself, and it hasn't been done so well since Tom Hanks did it in the underrated Cast Away (2000). The scene in which Ralston stages a pretend game-show into his video camera with himself as both host and guest, Franco delivers both shame and over-the-top insanity as Ralston reflects on his attitudes and his recklessness. It's a fantastic scene for Franco, and deserves to win him the Oscar alone.

Not to say that their aren't problems with the film. Towards the end it begins to get unnecessarily sentimental as Ralston starts to think of his family, who he has constantly neglected, watching over him. And when the 'long-awaited' arm removal scene comes, I didn't know what to make of it. Boyle uses sound effects and quick editing which renders the scene easier to watch, and I wasn't sure whether to see this as a cop-out or not. I felt that it is something Ralston went through and it would only be right to show it how it happened, but on the other hand it is more tastefully done. It could have been exploitative in the hands of a poorer director, and I suppose it heightens the absurdity of his circumstance. Given the height of disillusionment and dehydration he was in at the time, he probably didn't experience it in a regular way anyway.

A solid survival flick, and a refreshingly stylish take on it. It deserves to be seen for Franco's performance alone, who I assume will prosper from this to become a highly-sought after leading man.


Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Treat Williams, Clémence Poésy, Lizzy Caplan
Country: USA/UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie