1990s nostalgia is all over Hollywood right now, and T2 Trainspotting is the latest in a series of late sequels to classic, beloved movies. There is some justification for this film, since the original Trainspotting book - by Irvine Welsh - had a sequel, titled Porno. T2 Trainspotting takes some aspects of the second book and some original ideas to continue the story of Renton, Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie. The inherent obstacle for sequels like these to overcome is that they have the iconic reputations of their predecessors resting on their shoulders. The ultimate questions for all of these sequels are "can they live up to the original?" and "do they justify their own existence?"
20 years after the events of Trainspotting, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to Edinburgh, where he begins to re-connect with his old friends. He finds that Spud (Ewen Bremner) is still a junkie, living a shallow, empty life. He also finds Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), now calling himself Simon, running a cocaine-fuelled scam operation with the help of his so-called girlfriend, Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova). Renton finds himself being drawn back into he lifestyle of his past, despite trying to move forward with his life, As Simon begins to form a plan for revenge against his old friend for his decades-old theft, his illegal pursuits bring him into conflict with local criminals. Meanwhile, Francis Begbie (Robert Carlyle) escapes from prison and also seeks revenge against Renton.
T2 Trainspotting is a film I've been anticipating for quite a while now. The original is the perfect blend of acting, writing, and direction. The film is also fuelled by a sense of youthful energy from beginning to end, making the style just as important as the story. It's a film I never grow tired of watching, and is a sensory experience in every way. The story is also very much a product of its time, so a sequel would run the risk of feeling forced and unnecessary. Thankfully, T2 Trainspotting certainly justifies its own existence, and manages to recapture a lot of the magic that made the original film so memorable. This film uses the passage of time and just enough callbacks to the first Trainspotting to create something new. T2 doesn't exactly stand alone, but it is a worthy follow-up to the original.
While the first Trainspotting was very much about addiction and youth, T2 shows the long-term effects of addiction. If the first film was built around youth, this one is built around middle age. This film gives the characters a sense of insufficiency above all else. They're all living unfulfilled, mundane lives, defined by deficiencies that come with their age. While this film very easily could have felt like a bunch of old guys trying to recapture their youth, the actors manage to sink back into their roles so naturally that it feels like a progression of the characters, not just the actors trying to do the same thing years later. The lack of satisfaction for the characters is satisfying, and maintains a grounded, gritty world for them to live in, and continues an exploration f underground Scottish culture.
Simply watching the actors work together is just as fun as it was in the original. The main actors all portray the same sense of vitality as they did in the original film, but the performances feel more controlled, and more mature. Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller craft an authentic feeling of a strained friendship, but the bond between them always shines through. Both of their characters fel like they're constantly slumped and defeated, with the years yielding no clear answers for who they should be or what they should do. Ewen Bremner has a sad resignation to his performance, and we see a Spud that's searching for a purpose. Robert Carlyle stands out as Begbie, recapturing his manic anger and creating a terrifying presence. While the sympathetic edge that the story gives him is interesting, it takes away some of his inhuman, animalistic rage.
The style of Trainspotting, especially in the editing, is a large part of what makes it stand out so significantly as a film. From the opening moments of T2, it was clear that Danny Boyle still understood how to craft a film in that way, and the frenetic, energetic editing keeps the film's story moving along at a consistently fast pace. It's nice to know that the creative team is just as effective 20 years later as they were the first time. The individual scenes feel like they contain more of an impact, with music and sound used to deliver constant sensory punches to the audience. It's very easy to get sucked back into the Trainspotting world, and the film is full of moments that will make a fan of the original smile, laugh, and feel sharp pangs of catharsis at the execution of the story.
Nostalgia is a very important aspect of T2. I expected quite a few callbacks to the original film, and whether directly or indirectly, there were certainly a lot. But the callbacks were integrated into the story in a way that made sense, and shots from the first film were edited into T2's scenes to provide a thematic or aesthetic connection rather than just to go "remember this?" It was very interesting to see the connections between the films reveal themselves, and simply to see how much has changed over time. T2 also adds new dimensions to the backgrounds of the characters, leaving no character - no matter how antagonistic - without some level of sympathy. It's easier than ever to understand and connect with these iconic characters, and their further development feels natural and earned.
T2 Trainspotting is a fantastic addition to the original film, and provides a satisfying continuation of the characters' story. This film exceeded my expectations in may ways, and I'm glad that the Trainspotting name wasn't sullied with a sub-par sequel. Despite the fact that the original film wouldn't be affected, it's nice to not face disappointment for a change. When I walked out of the theatre, I immediately wanted to turn around, walk back in, and watch the film again. I also felt a strong desire to revisit the original film, which would no doubt just make me want to watch T2 yet again. It's the beginning of a vicious cycle, but one that would no doubt be a lot of fun. In that way, T2 Trainspotting is its own brand of heroin. If that's not poetic, I don't know what is.
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