Trainspotting

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/23/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on the novel by Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting is the story about a group of heroin addicts living in the economically-depressed world of Edinburgh, Scotland as one of the addicts is struggling to find a life outside of heroin addiction. Directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by John Hodge, the film is an exploration into the life of a young man dealing with his own heroin addiction as well as trying to maintain his friendship with those are addicts and those who aren't. Starring Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Kevin McKidd, Kelly MacDonald, Peter Mullan, Shirley Henderson, and Robert Carlyle. Trainspotting is an outstanding yet harrowing film from Danny Boyle.

Drug addiction is often used as a way to escape from the world of reality no matter how bad it is. For Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), he uses it as a way to get away from the real world as well as what it offers as he has friends who use it as well as those who don't do it. Still, Renton is eager to try to withdraw himself from the drug in an attempt to live a clean life as well as trying to get out more socially. Though he would eventually form a relationship with an underage woman in Diane (Kelly MacDonald), it wouldn't be enough as he is often drawn back to the world of addiction as he even gets one of his friends in Tommy (Kevin McKidd) to be part of this troubled world. After a series of circumstances and an encounter with Diane, Renton attempts to start a new life in London but old friends would only bring trouble as he is suddenly drawn into an even darker world involving crime as he tries to maintain something that would allow him to live a good life.

John Hodge's screenplay is unique for the way it explores the life of a young man and his struggles as it's told largely from his perspective with a lot of voice-over narration. While it's a film with a very grim subject matter, there's humor in the script that is filled with some stylish dialogue as well as scenes that are just terrifying to watch such as Renton trying to retrieve suppositories in the most disgusting toilet in Scotland. Still, Hodge's script has a structure where the first act is about his attempts to withdraw from heroin. The second act is his return to heroin and a near-death experience while the third is his life in London where he tries to start a new life only for his old friends to arrive and nearly ruin things. Through this narration, Renton allows himself to explain the unique world of heroin as well as his everything he's going through as well as his later life being a clean young man trying to make it in London where it's an entirely new world.

Danny Boyle's direction is very stylish as it's filled with lots of dark and funny moments through his unique compositions and scene staging. Yet, some compositions include references to the Beatles and scenes that can be a mix of beauty and ugly. Even in how Boyle would shoot a scene, notably Renton's near-overdose as he tells the film from Renton's perspective. Yet when Boyle creates funny moments, he creates something that can be disgusting to watch yet finds the right note of humor to create that scene. For the film's scenes in Edinburgh, the whole look seems a bit depressing and grey in contrast to the sunnier, colorful world of London. Boyle maintains a look and style to the film as he creates an energetic, fun, harrowing, yet sensational film that is repeatedly watchable.

Cinematographer Brian Tufano creates a unique look to the film with its grey, colorless look of exterior Edinburgh in the daytime with the smoky nighttime scenes at the club. Even some of the interior shots have a unique look to convey the troubled, hazy moods of Renton on dope. The look of London Tufano creates is more colorful in its exterior and interior scenes. Notably the nightclub rave scene to reveal the contrast world of retro-driven Edinburgh and the electronica world of London. Editor Masahiro Hirakubo is excellent in its rhythm, speed-cuts to emphasize the emotions of Renton, and transitions to reveal the world that Renton is surrounded by.

Production designer Kave Quinn and art director Tracey Gallacher do an excellent work in the look of some of the dirty, decayed look of Edinburgh in its apartments and other exterior worlds. The look for London is more clean and colorful until Begbie and Sick Boy arrives to make a mess of things. Costume designer Rachael Fleming does excellent work in the decayed look of the street clothes that the men wear while Sick Boy gets to wear nice suits. Yet, it's the sparkly dress that Diane wears that really stands out among the costumes as it looks great. Sound recordist Colin Nicholson and effects editor Jonathan Miller do great work in capturing the sound locations, action, and dance-club scenes.

The film's soundtrack is truly one of the greatest film soundtracks ever made with music legends like Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, and Lou Reed plus tracks by Brit-pop luminaries like Blur, Blur vocalist Damon Albarn, Elastica, Primal Scream, Pulp, and Sleeper. Other tracks ranging from 80s stalwarts like New Order and Heaven 17 to electronic acts like Leftfield, Bedrock, Ice MC, and Underworld provide the idea of new Britain. Orchestral pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and Georges Bizet are used for comic effect as it's easily one of the greatest film soundtracks ever created.

The casting by Andy Pryor and Gail Stevens is wonderfully assembled with cameo appearances by the book's novelist Irvine Welsh as Mikey Forrester, Dale Winton as a game show host, screenwriter John Hodge as a security officer, producer Andrew MacDonald as a buyer of one of the flats Renton sells, and costume designer Rachael Fleming as a nurse. Small roles like James Cosmo and Eileen Nicholas as Renton's parents are good as is Susan Vidler as Allison, Shirley Henderson as Gail, and Pauline Lynch as Lizzy. Peter Mullan is great in a small but memorable supporting role as Swanney, the dealer who cooks up heroin for Renton and the gang. In her film debut, Kelly MacDonald is great as Diane. The underage young woman who looks older but provides a sense of surprise and wisdom to Renton in making him change his life as MacDonald is funny and charming in her film debut.

Kevin McKidd also does great work in his film debut as Tommy, a clean-cut man who gets dumped by his girlfriend only to succumb to the troubles of heroin addiction. McKidd's performance is excellent to see someone full of life and hope go down only to bring a sense of guilt to the film's protagonist. Ewen Bremner is excellent as Spud, the most innocent and comical member of the group as he's often clueless despite his earnestness and being just a good guy. Jonny Lee Miller is wonderfully slimy and witty as Sick Boy, the Sean Connnery-loving guy who likes to look good while being just as sleazy and untrustworthy. Robert Carlyle is amazing as the psychopathic Begbie, a guy who likes to intimidate people and be the leader. Carlyle's performance is fun to watch in every scene he's in as he's just one of cinema's most unlikely badasses. Finally, there's Ewan McGregor in a breakout performance as Renton. The protagonist trying to leave the world of heroin addiction while struggling with his addiction. McGregor's performance is really the heart of the film as he provides the sense of struggle and hopefulness in his performance.

Trainspotting is an exciting, funny, yet harrowing film from Danny Boyle. Thanks to Boyle's stylish direction, John Hodge's witty screenplay, a superb soundtrack, and an amazing ensemble cast led by Ewan McGregor. It remains one of Britain's beloved films as well as one of the best films ever made. With a lot of memorable scenes both funny and horrifying, it's a film that remains unforgettable in whatever scene that is shown. In the end, for a film that is witty, dark, yet mesmerizing, Trainspotting is the film to go check out.

Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave - A Life Less Ordinary - The Beach - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine - Slumdog Millionaire - 127 Hours - Trance - Steve Jobs (2015 film) - T2 Trainspotting - (Yesterday (2019 film))

Related: Trainspotting OST - Favorite Films #10: Trainspotting

© thevoid99 2013

Brave (2012 film)/La Luna (short)

Directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell with a screenplay by Andrews, Chapman, Purcell, and Irene Mecchi from a story by Chapman, Brave is the story of a Scottish princess who rebels against her mother over her duties as she turns to a witch for help only to cause problems. The film marks a departure of sorts from Pixar studios as the story is driven by a female heroine who tries to deal with her role as well as family as explores the complex relationship between mother and daughter. Featuring the voice cast of Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Pixar regular John Ratzenberger. Brave is a heartwarming film from Pixar Animation Studios.

La Luna

Written and directed by Enrico Casarosa, La Luna is a short film about a boy who goes on a journey with his father and grandfather where he discovers what they do. In his discovery, he finds a way to help them in their job as he would live up to the tradition of their work. It’s a true little gem that explores the dynamics between three different generations of men told from a young boy’s perspective. Featuring a wonderfully melodic score by Michael Giacchino, Enrico Casarosa’s La Luna is definitely among one of Pixar’s great shorts.

Brave

It’s 10th Century Scotland as Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald) is being groomed to be heir to the throne as she is taught endlessly by her mother Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Merida however is unhappy with the on-going lessons to be a proper princess as she has already become a skilled archer ever since her father King Fergus (Billy Connolly) has given her a bow at a young age on the same day he lost his left leg to a bear named Mor’du. When Fergus and Elinor receive word that three clan leaders are willing to present their sons to marry Merida, Merida isn’t happy by the news as the clan leaders arrive hoping to discuss something where Elinor and Merida suggest that the three sons should compete in a contest to win Merida’s hand in marriage.

Instead, the contest has Merida taking control of what she wants to leading a huge argument between herself and her mother where Merida tears a part of Elinor’s tapestry family portrait. Running away with her horse Angus, Merida encounters a trail of Will O’ the Wisps where she finds a mysterious home that belongs to a witch (Julie Walters). After discovering what she is, Merida asks the witch to make a spell that will change her mother as the witch does. What happens would have Merida realizing that she is causing a lot of trouble as she returns to the witch’s home with a cryptic message on how to break the spell. Eventually, Merida realizes that the spell had to do with a legend her mother had told her years ago as she would try to find a way to break the spell before her father discovers what happened to his wife.

The film is essentially a story about young princess who defies her mother’s strict rules about how to be a princess by going to a witch to create a spell only to realize how much her mother really cares about her. It’s a film that explores the dynamic between mother and daughters where all a mother wants to do is prepare her daughter for the role she is set to play. Yet, she has to deal with the fact that her daughter isn’t ready to marry someone nor is she willing to do a lot of the things that is set for her as she tries to rebel against her mother. It’s a relationship that drives the film where it is all up to this young woman to discover the true meaning of bravery as she is someone who has to accept her fate as well as respect her mother.

The screenplay does play to a lot of the schematics of fairy tales as the story is quite conventional though the screenwriters do a lot more in fleshing out the characters such as Merida, Elinor, and King Fergus. There’s also an additional subplot of sorts that involves a story that Merida often has to be reminded of as it would reveal a lot of what would happen if the spell that she accidentally called for doesn’t break. It would add to the stakes that is raised up in the film’s second half where Merida has to play both princess and warrior in order to keep her mother’s secret hidden as well as deal with something far more sinister that relates to the legend that she knew as a child.

The direction of Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell is truly a feast for the eyes for the way they recreated the Scottish landscape with its mountains, hills, and various locations to play true to the world of 10th Century Scottish warriors. With some amazing scenery for those locations, the directors managed to infuse something that does play to the world of fairy tales while balancing the story with warmth and humor. The latter of which shows Pixar willing to be a bit raunchy but in a restrained, childish manner.

Through some amazing compositions and close-up of the characters, the direction of the film does exactly what is needed as well as setting up elements of suspense and humor that culminates into a real showdown between Merida and the curse that had been created. Overall, the team of Andrews, Chapman, and Purcell do a spectacular job in creating what is a truly enjoyable but also engaging for creating a story about mothers and daughters.

The editing by Nicholas C. Smith is excellent for creating elements of suspense as well as playing to the rhythm of the humor and the dramatic scenes of the film. Sound designers Gary Rydstrom and E.J. Holowicki, along with sound editor Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, do great work with the sound from the way arrows are shot to the clanging of swords as well as the growl of the Mor‘du bear in the film‘s opening prologue. The film’s music by Patrick Doyle is brilliant for its mixture of orchestral flourishes and traditional Scottish music that plays to the world of Scotland. Even as the film’s soundtrack includes amazing contributions from Mumford & Sons with Birdy, Julie Fowlis, Emma Thompson, Peigi Barker, and Billy Connolly.

The voice-casting for the film is extraordinary for the people that is assemble as it includes longtime Pixar regular John Ratzenberger and Patrick Doyle as a couple of guards, Sally Klinghorn and Eilidh Fraser as the voice of the family maid Maudie, Callum O’Neill and Steven Cree as a couple of Merida’s suitors, Peigi Barker as the young Merida, and Steve Purcell as the witch’s pet crow. Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson, and Kevin McKidd are very funny in their roles as the clan leaders who offer their sons to marry Merida while McKidd also voices one of the suitors. There’s also some great non-speaking parts such as the horse Angus and Merida’s young triplet brothers in Harris, Hubert, and Hamish where they provide a lot of hilarious moments for the film.

Julie Walters is wonderful as a secretive witch who provides Merida a dangerous spell as it’s a very charming character that is filled with humor and intrigue. Billy Connolly is great as the boisterous King Fergus who tries to understand both his wife and daughter while dealing with the clan leaders as Connolly provides a lot of funny moments for his character. Emma Thompson is brilliant as the stern Queen Elinor who tries to deal with her daughter’s rebelliousness while trying to understand her as it’s truly Thompson in one of her best roles. Finally there’s Kelly MacDonald in a fantastic voice performance as Merida. MacDonald provides all of the right notes to display Merida’s angst as well as her humility to create a truly engaging character that lives up to the many great characters from Pixar.

Brave is an enchanting and dazzling film from the team of Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell. Thanks to an amazing soundtrack, an outstanding ensemble voice cast, and a heartwarming story, it is a film that definitely carries a lot of what is expected from Pixar in terms of storytelling and great visuals. Although it might live up to some of the great films from the studio, it does at least provide a female heroine who does live up to a lot of the great characters that Pixar has created. In the end, Brave is a touching yet incredible film from Pixar Animation Studios.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid99 2012

Topsy-Turvy

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, Topsy-Turvy is the story about Gilbert and Sullivan’s attempt to create their greatest play in The Mikado as the two men fight each other creatively and personally through this 15-month ordeal that culminates with its premiere in 1885. While the film is a fictional account of the making of The Mikado, Leigh approach his same improvisational style to directing actors to explore what goes in the world of creating art. Starring Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Shirley Henderson, Kevin McKidd, Dexter Fletcher, Alison Steadman, Ron Cook, and Andy Serkis. Topsy-Turvy is a delightful yet engrossing film from Mike Leigh.

It’s January 1884 as W.S. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner) release their new opera Princess Ida to a lukewarm reception as Sullivan falls ill from kidney disease while Gilbert is dealing with writer’s block. Facing pressure to create a new piece for the Savoy, Sullivan goes on a holiday to France while Gilbert stays in England with his wife Kitty (Lesley Manville) who has been aware that having Princess Ida play during the hot British summer was a bad idea. After Sullivan’s return from France with mistress Fanny Ronalds (Eleanor David), he and Gilbert have no idea what to do as Sullivan refuses to repeat his own musical ideas while Gilbert has a hard time creating a new story.

With their producer Richard D’Oyly Carte (Ron Cook) deciding to revive their old play The Sorcerer as a way to make profit, Gilbert and Sullivan are unsure what to do as Sullivan refuses to repeat any ideas for a new libretto that Gilbert has written. Meanwhile, the actors who had worked in the Gilbert & Sullivan plays are becoming frustrated as some want a pay raise while dealing with their own personal issues. When Kitty convinces Gilbert to attend a Japanese exhibition of arts and crafts, Gilbert is suddenly inspired to write a new piece as it also inspires Sullivan to create The Mikado.

With all of the actors joining up for the project, complications arise as Gilbert wants an air of authenticity as he invites Japanese women to teach his actresses how to walk. Still, Gilbert and Sullivan are unsure about the opera itself where a decision about a song cut from the opera forces him to deal with the actors who felt very strongly about it. With opening night emerging, Gilbert and Sullivan wonder how the play will do as they also try to deal with its aftermath.

The film is about two men dealing with failure and the pressure to come up with something that would eventually be their best work. Yet, it’s also an in-depth look into the way art is made by two people who respect each other but at times, don’t really like each other. Sullivan is a guy that likes to have a good time with a mistress and enjoy a bit of decadence to escape his own kidney problems. Gilbert is the more anxiety-ridden as he wants to avoid dealing with his ailing mother while spending time with his wife. Yet, they’re both very creative personalities who really want to bring out the best opera out there to Victorian society as they’re also very stubborn artists.

Mike Leigh’s approach to the story deals with the world of creativity as well as the world of the late 1800s in British Victorian society where men wore suits and women wore big dresses with corsets inside. Leigh also explores the complex and often troubled relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan based on stories about the duo and the way they worked together. The story also allows Leigh to dwell into what the actors are thinking about their own performances in the play as well as their own personal lives. Yet, they all come together in the third act when the actors and the creative forces try to finish an opera they all believe could be great.

Since Leigh is known for never using a script and allowing his actors to improvise, it allows the film to have a tone that feels very loose through his direction. With rich compositions highlighting a lot on what goes on in and out of the stage as well what goes in the respective homes of Gilbert and Sullivan. Leigh crafts a film that is engaging into what goes in the world of creating art while having some amazing compositions such as high shots to see what middle-class people would see at a theater or what the actors are seeing. The overall work Leigh creates is sensational as he creates a truly funny yet mesmerizing film.

Cinematographer Dick Pope does an incredible job with the film‘s colorful photography from the way he sets the mood in the stage look for the differing plays to a more straightforward yet colorful look to many of the interiors settings in the film. Editor Robin Sales does an excellent job with the editing to create rhythmic cuts to capture the intensity of what goes on in the making of a stage as well as playing to the melody of some of the musical moments of the film. Production designer Eve Stewart, along with set decorator John Bush and art director Helen Scott, does a spectacular job with the set pieces created from the spacious living room of Gilbert to the more intimate bedroom of Sullivan plus the staging of the operas that is created in the film.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does a magnificent job with the late 19th Century period costumes from the dresses look and feel to the costumes created for The Mikado opera. Hair & makeup designer Christine Blundell does a fabulous job with the way the hair looks to that 19th Century period for women as well as the wigs and makeup made for The Mikado. Sound recordist Tim Fraser and sound editor Peter Joly do stellar work with the sound from the way sound is made for some parts of the stage presentation to the intimacy that occurs during rehearsal. The film’s music is largely dominated by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan that is adapted by composer Carl Davis who uses pieces from other operas as score music to emphasize the drama and humor that includes the stage scene as it’s a highlight of the film.

The casting by Nina Gold is truly amazing for the large ensemble that is created for the film as all of the actors do their own singing for the film. Making appearances in the film, which includes a lot of Leigh regulars, are Ashley Jensen as a chorus member, Andy Serkis as an eccentric choreographer, Katrin Cartlidge as a friend that Sullivan entertains, Alison Steadman as a costume designer, Eve Pearce as Gilbert’s ailing mother, Naoko Mori as a Japanese waitress Gilbert meets at the exhibition, Dexter Fletcher as Sullivan’s butler, and Wendy Nottingham as Carte’s assistant Helen Lenoir. In standout supporting performances, there’s Vincent Franklin as the joyful Rutland Barrington and Martin Savage as the troubled yet gifted George Grossmith.

Dorothy Atkinson as the injured diva Jessie Bond, Eleanor David as Sullivan’s mistress Fanny Ronalds, and Shirley Henderson as the insecure yet talented Leonara Braham are all wonderful in their respective roles. Kevin McKidd is excellent as the demanding Duward Lely while Timothy Spall is superb as veteran lead Richard Temple who gets to play the title role in The Mikado. Ron Cook is terrific in a low-key performance as Gilbert and Sullivan’s producer Richard D’Oyly Carte while Lesley Manville is brilliant as Gilbert’s supportive wife Kitty.

Finally there’s the duo of Jim Broadbent and Alan Corduner in fantastic performances in the respective roles of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Broadbent brings a great sense of turmoil and anguish in Gilbert that is striving to create the best opera he can while Corduner is the more humorous of the two as the funnier Sullivan. Though Broadbent and Corduner don’t have a lot of scenes together, the two do have great rapport together as these two different personalities who are trying to create an opera they will be remembered for. It’s definitely some of the best work for both Broadbent and Corduner for the way they portray Gilbert and Sullivan.

Topsy-Turvy is a splendid yet witty film from Mike Leigh featuring an outstanding ensemble cast led by Jim Broadbent and Alan Corduner. The film is definitely one of Leigh’s finest films in terms of its ambition and the way he brings a unique interpretation to the world of late 19th Century Victorian society. Notably in how he explores the world of creativity at its most troubled as he creates a wonderful study on that world while making it entertaining with the use of the music and operas of Gilbert & Sullivan. In the end, Topsy-Turvy is a superb yet dazzling film from Mike Leigh.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (Hard Labour) - (The Permissive Society) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail’s Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who’s Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - All or Nothing - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

© thevoid99 2012