T2 TRAINSPOTTING: 20 YEARS LATER

Believe it or not it’s been 20 years since the movie TRAINSPOTTING unleased itself upon the movie going public. At the time the movie was one of the most talked about films of the period. And yet you rarely hear anyone talk about it since then. It was controversial, it was upsetting and it was one of the first major films director Danny Boyle made. Since then he has gone on to direct SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, 127 HOURS, 28 DAYS LATER and STEVE JOBS. The actors involved have gone on to bigger and better things as well. And now, 20 years later, they have all reunited to tell the continuing story or this group.

If you missed the first film or know nothing of it, it told the story of Marc Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his friends, a group of heroin junkies bent on crime. Included in the mix were his best friend Simon “Sick Boy” (Johnny Lee Miller), waste head Spud (Ewen Bremmer) and the ultra-violent Begbie (Robert Carlyle). Their drug fueled antics and hallucinations are the stuff nightmares are made of. By the end of the film the gang had stolen a load of money that Renton took off with, leaving only a portion for Spud.

T2: TRAINSPOTTING has Marc returning home. His mother has passed away leaving his father home alone. He meets up with Spud as Spud has gone off the wagon again. Marc tells him he needs something to switch his addiction to, something like running or boxing, just something else to focus on. He then sets out to meet with Simon.

Their reunion goes pretty much as one would expect at the end of the first film. Fist fly, bottles are broken and curses are exchanged. Simon was left behind with nothing and now owns the pub his mother owned falling on hard times since the area has degraded. On the side along with his girlfriend he tapes well to do men with her in an adjoining motel room and then threatens them with blackmail. The two seem to make up and Marc reveals he is back home after living in Amsterdam after failing at marriage and with a job ending there. But Simon has other plans. Still holding a grudge he sets in motion a plan to have his revenge on Marc.

As all of this is unfolding Begbie sits in prison, meeting with his attorney in the hopes of getting parole. When it is denied, he escapes and heads home. He recruits his son, now in his late teens and attending college, to help him in a burglary. His view is that the boy should be following in his footsteps and setting aside dreams of school.

Begbie eventually runs into Simon which Simon uses to his advantage. He lets him know that Marc is back in town, telling him he’ll make sure he gets his chance at him. In truth, Simon is playing one against the other. On Marc’s end, he recruits him to help change the pub into a brothel, something that helps Spud as well since he seems to be a natural decorator and assists the reconstruction.

As with the first film the plans made by each and every one of these characters falls apart at one time or another. The question becomes will they be able to see past that indiscretions found in their history together or not? Will they forgive and forget or will plans of destruction fall through? And as the movie progresses, much like the first, you wonder just who if any of these friends will survive.

To begin with Boyle has done an amazing job of pulling together all the elements needed to tell a story effectively and in an entertaining manner. Visually the movie is stunning at various times, a testament to Boyle and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. Moments in this film may stick with new recruits to the films like the first one did with a generation ago.

All of the actors are at their best here, playing roles that were new to them 20 years ago as if they never left them behind. Each has gone on to so much more and yet here they are again. Interestingly enough in the extras a discussion among them with Boyle has McGregor talking about how he didn’t know if he could be the same character again coming from Scotland since at the time of the first film he had only been away 3 years. Then he says he realized that much like he had been away so had his character.

There will be moments that might offend some and certainly moments that will upset a few viewers. If you’re willing to give this movie a chance you’ll find that it has some hilarious moments (it is considered a dark comedy) and some touching moments as well. By the end you’ll hope you’re still around, and all involved as well, to see if they can carry on the story in another 10 or 20 years.

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