i'm a big fan of the book - not necessarily Iain Bank's best, but definitely top 5. this film manages to keep all of the important parts of the story, cramming it into 100 minutes without giving the ending away until... well the end. very enjoyable, more so because i'd read the book, but couldn't remember the ending till i saw it. well acted by a stunning cast and the script kept what i'd call the Banks'iness of the book. well worth watching, whether you've read the book or not. the only downside is that the dvd could do with more extras.