<P> In Britain, Trainspotting was met with widespread acclaim from critics . In his review for The Guardian, Derek Malcolm gave the film credit for tapping into the youth subculture of the time and felt that it was "acted out with a freedom of expression that's often astonishing ." Empire magazine gave the film five out of five stars and described the film as "something Britain can be proud of and Hollywood must be afraid of . If we Brits can make movies this good about subjects this horrific, what chance does Tinseltown have?" </P> <P> American film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and praised its portrayal of addicts' experiences with each other . In his review for the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan wrote, "in McGregor...the film has an actor whose magnetism monopolizes our attention no matter what". Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "A" rating and Owen Gleiberman wrote, "Like Scorsese and Tarantino, Boyle uses pop songs as rhapsodic mood enhancers, though in his own ravey - hypnotic style . Whether he's staging a fumbly sex montage to Sleeper's version of Atomic or having Renton go cold turkey to the ominous slow build of Underworld's Dark and Long...Trainspotting keeps us wired to the pulse of its characters' passions". In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, "Trainspotting doesn't have much narrative holding it together . Nor does it really have the dramatic range to cope with such wild extremes . Most of it sticks to the same moderate pitch, with entertainment value enhanced by Mr. Boyle's savvy use of wide angles, bright colours, attractively clean compositions and a dynamic pop score". </P> <P> Rolling Stone's Peter Travers wrote, "the film's flash can't disguise the emptiness of these blasted lives . Trainspotting is 90 minutes of raw power that Boyle and a bang - on cast inject right into the vein". In his review for the Washington Post, Desson Howe wrote, "Without a doubt, this is the most provocative, enjoyable pop - cultural experience since Pulp Fiction". Jonathan Rosenbaum, in his review for the Chicago Reader, wrote, "Like Twister and Independence Day, this movie is a theme - park ride--though it's a much better one, basically a series of youthful thrills, spills, chills, and swerves rather than a story intended to say very much". Trainspotting has a 90% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83 metascore on Metacritic . </P> <P> The film's release sparked controversy in some countries, including Britain, Australia and the United States, as to whether or not it promoted and romanticized drug use . US Senator Bob Dole accused it of moral depravity and glorifying drug use during the 1996 US presidential campaign, although he later admitted that he had not seen the film . Producer of the film Andrew Macdonald responded to these claims in a BBC interview stating "we were determined to show why people took drugs...you had to show that it was fun and that it was awful" to which Boyle adds "It's the music and humour that makes people feel it's glamorising drugs ." Despite the controversy, it was widely praised and received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in that year's Academy Awards . Time magazine ranked Trainspotting as the third best film of 1996 . </P>

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