[rating=8.00]
“We kind of screwed James Cameron over,” Danny Boyle said, as he introduced the worst kept secret screening. “T2 technically wasn’t taken, we asked [the studio]…so now if James Cameron wants to use it, he has to ask us, haha.” Last night’s screening of T2 (or Trainspotting 2, depending on who you talk to) was intense. The line started to form about three hours before the film was even slated to seat, forming a line down two city blocks and around a corner. Any onlooker would think they were giving out free money, but with half the crowd in the know, and the other half giddy with anticipation for what it could be, it was no surprise the turn out would be immense.
Along with Boyle, we were privy to an appearance by the effervescent Ewan McGregor, star of both the original and sequel films. He seemed nervous as they laid the intro out, bringing up the fact that he didn’t think they had fucked it up over and over again. The audience didn’t care, Boyle could have presented a short film about a donkey show and they would have given a standing ovation. Luckily, the substance paired well with the anticipation, and we were given a perfectly acceptable piece of art.
T2 takes place 20 years after Renton ran off to choose life. The opening of the film shows him healthy and alert, running on a treadmill in a health club with a full mane of hair. We get quick looks at Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie as they each toil away in a life after dope. Well, mostly. Begbie is still in prison, rotting away and plotting against his former friends, while Sick Boy is addicted to coke and running a blackmail business, along with the pub. Spud did well for a while, until a series of unfortunate events sends him down a spiral and away from his well-meaning sobriety. Renton’s return kicks of a grand adventure for the four men, delving into issues and drama they’ve ignored for twenty years.
The film uses quick clips, familiar places, and familiar faces to identify where we want to be at this point in time. It’s set up seamlessly, and as Boyle pointed out he only uses about a minute from the original film peppered in to set the mood. Each cut gives us that full memory of that moment, allowing for a personalized nostalgia to pair with the scene. This is part of what makes it work so well; everyone felt different things as they watched the original movie, and this allows that individuality to shine through without interrupting the story flow. That, paired with Boyle’s headstrong attitude about not giving in to exactly what the audience wants, remarkably elevates T2.
While admittedly mild, Boyle’s interpretation of the second part to Trainspotting marks a new form of sequel, adding a pleasant depth to a story we all know and incidentally love. You won’t exactly get the same high you felt when you first took in the boys, but it’s enough to get you through until your next fix. As McGregor valiantly pointed out after the screening, they definitely didn’t fuck it up. By waiting the full twenty years to revisit the story it gave both the characters and the audience time to grow, learn, and even change. We are not simply rehashing old moments, but instead building new ones, allowing for us to choose new paths, new ideas, and old friends. As Spud points out in the film, it always begins with an idea, followed by a conflict, then a tragedy. It is up to us to find a way in from the outside, and T2 defines that for us in stride.
