T2 Trainspotting
Twenty years has passed since the self-destructive yet fragile Scotsmen Mark, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie were residing in a rotting town house in Edinburgh, living only for their next hit of ‘skag’ and ultimately neglecting a baby to death. It might look like a lot has changed, Mark (Ewan McGregor) no longer has puffy red eyes and a crop top, swimming in toilets and face planting the floor, but instead decided to channel his addiction into healthier habits like running. However, by venturing back to where it all began after years of running away, it opens old wounds and familiar habits to Mark, ultimately producing new problems. After running away with £16,000 in the previous film, his peers do not immediately welcome him with open arms.
Danny Boyle’s deliberately long anticipated sequel allowed the characters to age naturally and create a real sense of time passing. Their personalities are very much the same though, and we quickly pick up where we left off. Much like 20 years before, Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) has hair whiter than the cocaine he loves and new shady business plans, Spud (Ewen Bremner) stills struggles with addiction whilst looking constantly lost and Begbie (Robert Carlyle) belongs in a straight jacket, even after years in prison.
Amongst the drugs and betrayal, this film includes a deeper meaning than we saw in the 1996 film. The connection between father and son leaves you with a sense of empathy for the men as they learn the hard way and attempt to right their many wrongs. Although the nostalgic references might possibly be overplayed, this story holds a plot of it’s own as the childhood friends unwillingly relive their pasts. A connection to Irvine Welsh’s 1993 novel is cleverly entwined into the plot through the unlikely character Spud, creating a personal perception of growing up in working-class Edinburgh.
Like the iconic novel which created a new style of literature, and the award winning film that followed, this sequel depicts the gritty truth behind the struggles of addiction, anger, grief and self awareness in order to “choose life”.
