Ecstasy (2011) Reviews

• Loved the book and the film

  cgenuardi2012-09-02

  This is a great adaptation based on the book by Irvine Welsh. Although some of the details have changed to work for storytelling, I really enjoyed it. I saw an interview with Irvine Welsh talking about the differences between this and Trainspotting and I had to see it. I saw the film with a large group of friends and we all decided we loved it. Especially Adam and Billy. Billy Boyd is hilarious as Woodsy a nutter who ends up taking too much and going to a mental hospital. I loved the music and the love story with Heather. It was totally realistic - like it has happened to friends of mine. It was a wonderfully strange, yet great film. I strongly suggest you see it with friends and see what characters you like best. There are some funny bits and sad parts but overall a great story.

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• The definitive film about Ecstasy and clubbing culture.

  kpmichaels-466-1633892012-09-04

  Saw this article about Mark Blamire's design of the poster in http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/april/ Was a cleaver marketing package. But the story and script in the film are very cleaver too. I have seen the film a few times and there are few films these days that are worthy of multiple viewings. Although marketed to Neds and the like, the film is about the spiritual aspect of redemption and getting another chance. Who wouldn't want another chance to change things? The cast did a wicked job of show what Ecstasy is really like. Irvine Welsh gave his stamp of approval and loved the film. I was at the Glasgow Film Festival screening and the Q+A with Mr. Welsh was a hoot! The definitive film about Ecstasy and clubbing culture.

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• Sweet Jesus what a pathetic example of film.

  seanfoulkes2013-07-20

  This movie falls so far from it's intended objectives that I almost wonder if it isn't some sort of multi-layered social joke that the director is playing on his audience. The entire film from start to finish feels as if a naive & innocent thirteen year old boy wrote and directed this embarrassing excuse for a motion picture film to impress his older brother who does drugs. Other than the stylishly ripped-off poster design, there is... LITERALLY.... nothing about this film that doesn't make you constantly cringe out of embarrassment for all involved. The first batch of reviews that give this movie a 10/10 MUST BE FAKE. There is no way that a person coherent enough to read and write English could possibly view this film as a "Must see film," or "Great Cast, Great Story," or my personal favorite: "The Definitive Film about Ecstasy and Clubbing Culture." Netflix now has this film, and, just like everyone else, was drawn to it out of love for Trainspotting. After quickly looking up the IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes ratings for the film (IMDB=4.7/10, and Rotten Tomatoes has it hovering around a 14%/100) I knew I probably wouldn't get my mind blown, but I wasn't expecting a film this truly awful. From the first scene which desperately tries to capitalize on the visual aesthetic of Trainspotting, the entire movie becomes an inconsistent mess of AWFUL acting, childish dialogue, flat and borderline nonexistent narrative, and of course there's the music. This film, adapted from one of the best counter-culture authors of the 20th century, had ALL THE WORK DONE FOR IT. All they had to do was properly rip off Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, apply it to this novel, and they would have at least an AVERAGE film. The entire premise revolves around emotionally exposing the 90's underground rave/club culture, and the entire soundtrack consists of, from what I can tell, the same four bars of the most generic "club beat" I've ever heard, and it only plays in the background of these small scale pathetic "rave" sequences where it becomes obvious that the scene consists of less than 20 extras generically moving in a basement while some cheap strobe lights try to mask the films budget and attempt to make it look like a pulsing, sweating, out-of- mind ecstasy club. So my advice to you is, watch it, but only if you have a morbid curiosity to see in real-time what it feels like to watch the careers of probably everyone involved get quickly erased out of history. I can't imagine trusting director, cinematographer (if you can call him that), or ANY of the actors or writers to coherently create a low-expectation soap opera episode, much less another film. I suppose I'm glad that it was made, so people know for certain how terrible all parties involved are at their respective craft. Embarrassing. I just spent ten minutes writing this to save you the pain of this film destroying what little expectations you might have from it.

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• Ecstasy - What a surprise

  StBotolph2012-04-18

  Well...I went to the premier, I felt older and uglier than everyone else there, I had huge expectations due to the Irvine Welsh endorsement of the project, and the knowledge Trainspotting was and is the king of UK indie films , so I was set up for a miserable cold rainy Tuesday evening in South East London and remembering that the last time I walked through the doors of the Ministry of Sound, I only managed to stay in there for about 20 minutes before being ejected..(use your imagination …20 years ago I might add) , added to my fear of another deflated experience at the birth place off Vodka Jellies and Mecca of modern dance music . I took my seat and tucked into the free popcorn. The lights dimmed the film rolled and the music started, my ears pricked and after the 4 beats in a bar huge bass smashed through my eardrums and made my heart beat dance in time with it - I was back in the club on the podium semi naked smiling from ear to ear and chewing my jaw off !! I couldn't believe how Rob Heydon has nailed the clubbing experience so well , having seen him on an interview for the film , he comes across as though he'd be better suited to directing a Surbiton church hall adaptation of 'The Good Life ' ... how wrong I was , he must have done some serious damage in his day because to interpret to this level of accuracy meant he was there ! The acting was superb, really mature actors nailing their characters , having seen a clip , I immediately was comparing Adam with Ewan Mc Gregor before Adam had even spoke a word , I needn't have bothered , Adam has huge personality that comes across very well , he looks and sounds great and he is quite obviously his own man and made this 'his' film … Another thing that was totally unexpected, in fact 'unexpectedly brilliant' was the cinematography was nothing short of top notch . I hope you like this film, if like me you were there, you can only attest to its accuracy, it walks the fine line well of showing how the drugging club culture does allow colourful imagination and frees the most repressed spirit but like any drug or alcohol fuelled experience the time to pay the piper will come and you can be sure the piper will asked to be paid when your least capable of paying him, Heydon portraits this with the reverence it deserves . Well done great film !!

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• Great fun - highly recommend

  jrghsolutions2012-04-17

  I was a bit apprehensive about this film as I am a massive fan of Trainspotting and felt it may let the side down. I was fortunate enough to see a pre-screening and this could not be further from the truth, it is a great film in its own right and I recommend that anyone go and see it. I saw it with my girlfriend and she really enjoyed it as well so its not just one for the lads. I enjoyed the way it shows how the tedium of middle class life can go skidding off the rails on a roller-coaster ride. It's refreshing to see a film that deals with relationships/happiness/love that doesn't have Hugh Grant turning the contents of your stomach with lines like "love really is all around"! p.s. Kristin Kreuk...well...enough said

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