The last time I was so conflicted about watching a sequel was when Donnie Darko 2 hit the cinemas...you want another taste of greatness but fear that the original story will be diluted and the sense of intrigue will disappear, which unfortunately is what happened when Samantha took the baton to save the universe.

However trainspotting 2 has stayed true to the original and succeeds on extending the adrenalin pumping raw nature of petty crime in Edinburgh. It's anti establishment doctrine which encompasses life on the edge of society, where heroin abuse is an outlet for a generation forgotten by middle class Europe, is captured perfectly by robust characters and cinematic shadows which play on the emotions of death and withdrawal. The story line of opportunity and betrayal is entwined with the dogmatic lives of these protagonists, victims of their own faith, struggling to escape their reality; they're caged to the ghosts of their youth.

​It's a film that you must see if you have lived long enough to appreciate the original. It's a road trip in chaos. There is a lot of symbolism, social commentary and throwbacks to the original to make this a pleasant journey. Maybe leave your 13 year old at home and remember sharing needles is not a good idea even if your Ewen McGregor, but choose life, choose popcorn, choose Vans, skinny jeans, and repeal the 8th t-shirts,  choose anti Trump retweets,  wasted votes, and hotel management, choose redemption, choose individuality, choose middle class hypocrisy, choose sun holidays, ski trips with your hipster friends, gift vouchers, and white chocolate mochas, choose passive aggression in the face of the alt right apocalypse, choose T2 Trainspotting for a bite of reality. 

Tom Hardy plays Leo Demidov, a Ukrainian orphan who swears allegiance to Soviet Russia. The film starts out with Leo raising the flag for the mother land, a war hero without a watch who has no idea how long this movie feels. Leo matures into a loyal MGB agent in the post war Stalinist era, we get introduced to him as an agent with a pragmatic mind and an honest heart who falls in love with his wife to be Raisa Demidov (Noomi Rapace), an unrestful citizen with an honest mind and a pragmatic heart.

The film gives a strong portrayal of a tyrannical state where people live in fear of questioning their government; several characters hide their tears in the face of the truth in fear of persecution.

The dominant mantra that ‘crime cannot exist in paradise’ explores the theme of courage, can Leo Demidov find the strength to oppose tyranny when he uncovers a child serial killer in the midst of Moscow, whose tracks have been covered by agents of the state. The gritty backdrop of fear and firing squads is this movies real strength, but the plot is a major let down.

When the first victim is revealed the movie is set for a gruesome manhunt, but it fails to live up to the chase as it stays focussed on cloaks and daggers instead of building on the crime thriller. The killer is even given some tardy psychological background when he’s revealed as a psycho with a towel and a bag of sweets, could we not come up with something better than a peado with a bag of toffees and a travel pass.

The movie also concludes with a life lesson that love is in fact a pragmatic consequence of environment, so the film which starts out with a romantic vibe fails to win hearts or stimulate minds.

I guess you should see this movie if you like to see actions scenes involving Tom Hardy using a knife, or if you like action scenes with Tom Hardy punching someone in the face, or if you like action scenes with Tom Hardy fighting in the mud, or maybe you just want to see Tom Hardy kicking ass in a different accent. Otherwise if you can control your popcorn addiction for a week it’s worth giving this one a miss as it doesn’t offer a whole lot more than fancy dress prepared for Netflix subscriptions. 

‘TheVoices’ is a movie that derives most of its humour from vulgarity as opposed to sharp wit or clever punch lines.  The lead character is one dimensional, doing little to explore the complexities of the human mind, instead linking mental illness with psychopathic behaviour. It’s a bit disappointing in this sense because murder is a callous and calculated crime where as poor Jerry, who seems to suffer from depression and schizophrenia, turns out to be a slapstick serial killer with a very troubled childhood. So for instance if you’re a fascist with an intolerance of the diverse society we actually live in you will probably love this film.

That said this is a black comedy, so we can’t hold it accountable for its limited attempt in explaining that victims of abuse or psychological disorders are multifaceted individuals with an equally diverse range of human emotions.  But we can judge it for being an attempt at comedy which it fails miserably. The quirky bright side of an out of touch Jerry is a clever contrast to the sinister world of severed heads and piled up pizza boxes from which he escapes, but the film lacks the intelligence of a black comedy and falls short of the laughs you’d normally associate with your average light hearted movie, so it really plays out as nothing more than a quirky gore movie with a foul mouthed cat who has a dispassionate view of his canine  companion, the kind of quarrelling pair that you find on children’s tv.

In summary this isn’t a movie worth going to see unless you’re on something, or its raining and there has been a train strike and it’s gonna take you an hour and a half to walk up hill through a ghetto to the nearest bus station which is inhabited by a pack of crazed wolves. The Monty Python / Life of Brian score at the end of the film cements the feeling of resentment towards the whole picture, trapped in the middle of the centre row of a semi crowded cinema this was probably the most pain staking three minutes of my life, for which I can remark that going to see this film has only added to the therapy bill. 

The Drop is a story about a dog called Rocco, who also goes by the alias of Mike. Rocco winds up moving in the dark circles of the Brooklyn underworld after a chance meeting with Bob Saginowski, played by Tom Hardy.

It turns out Rocco has  a bit of a mysterious past, having previously entangled with a known hoodlum by the name of Eric Deeds, the dog has the scars to prove he's seen harder times having come out the worst from his dealings with the street thug. Deeds is a very calculated individual and with a physical presence that towers over Tom Hardy we get an immediate chill from the danger which radiates from his presence. We soon learn that Deeds is connected with an unsolved murder which begins to trouble Saginowski, especially when Deeds reveals he has some unfinished business with Rocco and begins to shake the pair down for some money, whilst looming sinisterly in the background to assert his control over the situation.

Bob introduces Rocco to his neighbour Nadia who helps keep an eye on him, Nadia who has some scars of her own, immediately associates with the dog and a love interest begins to bloom. Nadia reminds Tom that Rocco is a pit bull, a very dangerous breed known for their innate aggression, but only when left in the hands of a malicious master, Nadia gives us the message that this dog will only bite if it’s backed into a corner, but until then he plays a rather unassuming role. Rocco’s very much the gentle type, a bit shy - his hobbies include long walks along the seashore, playing with squeaky toys and the disposal of body parts.  

Of course the movie has many masters, Marv a kind of Scrooge character, played by Gandolfini, is the character in charge of a drop operation which employees Bob and Rocco. The operation in turn is run by some Chechen gangsters and it’s interesting to see who exactly is pulling the strings when the curtain folds.

Early on in the film we learn that Rocco has very strong religious roots, but we're not so sure if he has his mind made up on being a fully fledged member of the church. When Detective Torres forewarns the temple may fall we begin to see the dark arm of the mob embrace our protagonist and the question that arises is whether Rocco will be left standing as a saint or a sinner!

The movie builds up to a dramatic showdown between Rocco and Eric Deeds at Marv’s bar, Marv makes his excuses so that the lead characters can carry on about their business, but he by no means bows out in what has to be remarked as a very memorable performance from the late James Gandolfini. The film is carried by the excellent performances from its lead characters who provide a very edgy screen presence coupled with some blurred camera shots that add to the suspense. It’s a movie worth seeing for this reason alone and Rocco provides enough bite to ensure you won’t leave the cinema disappointed.