On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything new to Trainspotting. It’s another movie about disaffected twenty-somethings living in squalor, refusing to conform to a hypocritical and superficial society, dealing with such issues as drugs, AIDS, depression and death. This premise has been done to death, but the execution here is different in many intriguing ways.

Unlike Rent, for example, there’s absolutely no attempt to glamorize or justify this lifestyle. The movie — and the main characters themselves, in fact — acknowledge in no uncertain terms that they are junkies living in violence and squalor. The opening narration tells us from the outset that these characters know they’re dying, and choose to do so in what they consider to be the most pleasurable way possible. This might sound like Requiem for a Dream, and that connection is strengthened by how this film uses outstanding effects and clever camerawork to convey the heroin addict’s experience in a more nightmarish way. However, unlike Requiem, the characters in this film know exactly what they’re doing. Mark Renton and his crew of “mates” aren’t using drugs as a means to an end (getting rich, losing weight, etc.), they’re using drugs as an end in itself. It’s all for the purpose of giving the middle finger to authority and escaping the drudgery of everyday life.

And — in another difference from the aforementioned films — this movie actually has the balls to show such a protagonist develop into an aspiring model citizen.

The back half of this movie was definitely the more interesting to me, because it went into detail about Renton’s withdrawal. Not just the actual experience of withdrawal, mind you (though that part was awesomely fucked-up), but the experience of adjusting to life after addiction. The process of starting a productive life and moving on, past all the emotional baggage and history that would encourage a relapse. Going from one extreme to the other like that is a tremendous development arc for a character to undertake, but Renton does it wonderfully.

Part of the reason why is that this movie never gets preachy. It never openly condemns the cast of characters for their illicit behavior, but rather lets their self-destructive behavior do the talking. Additionally, Renton doesn’t try pretending that getting clean makes him a decent person. He doesn’t develop because “normalcy” is so attractive, but because the old subversive lifestyle is that much worse. Of course, it also helps that Ewan McGregor’s solid performance — along with John Hodge’s screenplay and Danny Boyle’s direction — makes it abundantly clear that Renton is outgrowing his old lifestyle.

Yet the second half wouldn’t have been nearly as powerful if the first half wasn’t so damn strong. We spend the first hour or so following a motley crew of deviants and all their various misadventures. We’re shown what Renton sees in his friends, which makes it easy to understand why he keeps their company. Likewise, this part of the movie takes great pains to present heroin use in a compelling way, making it clear why Renton and his friends put so much effort into getting high. Of course, that isn’t to say that drug use gets a flattering portrayal. There’s a great ugliness to it, as well as some extremely heartbreaking consequences. Consequences that our characters escape from by getting high.

The supporting cast is made slightly sympathetic by the knowledge that they get into stupid shit because it’s all they know and it’s all they can do. It’s just who they are. Additionally, their most traumatic and disgusting escapades are played for laughs, though the tragic undercurrent is always present (the bed-shitting incident, for example). It isn’t until the second act — when we’re seeing them through Renton’s reforming eyes — that the antics of the supporting cast look less comedically dopey and more tragically disgusting.

Then there’s the matter of Diane. Look, I love me some Kelly Macdonald and I won’t bother pretending that I didn’t enjoy her sex scene. Also, I’m aware that Diane served as a device to explore Renton’s sexuality, she showed Renton’s hypocrisy (he’ll commit robbery, vandalism, and drug abuse without a care, but he’s worried about going to jail for statutory rape?), and she was a key reason why Renton first relapsed. But then the second half came around and she promptly disappeared. I wanted to know more about this character and I’m sure she had more to offer toward the purpose of Renton’s development, but Diane was barely in this movie after her first big scene. Such a waste.

In fact, the movie has precious few likable characters, and all of them — save only for our protagonist — are ill-used. Tommy is an honest man who doesn’t do drugs, but he gets HIV and dies partway through anyway. Spud is a well-meaning idiot, but his lines are few and his effect on the plot is minimal. The second act is driven pretty much entirely by Sick Boy and Begbie, both of whom have devolved into cartoon characters by that point. I’ll grant that they contrast against Renton in a way that makes the latter look more sensible and developed by comparison, but that comparison goes both ways: It shows just how thin they are, next to our three-dimensional main character.

Still, the movie is more than technically proficient. The sound design and special effects do a remarkable job of putting us in Renton’s headspace during his less lucid moments, especially considering that this was clearly such a low-budget production. The overdose halfway through is my personal favorite such moment, though the toilet scene is pretty high up there as well. I also love all the little visual touches — the use of titles was very good, and the editing is simply inspired.

I was also very impressed with the soundtrack. Most other scores would limit themselves to one particular style — orchestral, classical, techno, etc. — but this movie has a refreshing “kitchen sink” approach. It utilizes at least a couple of genres, playing whichever one is best-suited for the scene at hand. It’s not very often to see a movie that uses techno music and classical music within the same soundtrack, but it works beautifully here.

Trainspotting isn’t a perfect film, but Ewan McGregor’s performance alone warrants a recommendation. Plus, this is Danny fucking Boyle directing, and there’s no denying that the man can put his audience in the head of a protagonist like precious few others in the business (*cough127Hourscough*). The characterization of the supporting cast falters, but the main character’s development is wonderfully presented and serves as a nice companion piece to other, darker stories about this depressing subject matter. Also, it’s a very quick watch at only 93 minutes long. Definitely worth a look.