JOE Taylor (Ewan McGregor) is an aimless drifter who works on a canal barge, owned by Les Gault (Peter Mullan) and his wife Ella (Tilda Swinton).

En route from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Joe and Les make the grisly discovery of a woman's body floating in the Clyde.

The police are called and both men are interviewed as witnesses to the girl's demise, neither able to shed any light on how she came to be in the water near the barge.

Back on board, tensions simmer beneath the surface as Joe tries to seduce the deeply unhappy Ella.

She gradually responds to his advances and the pair embark on a passionate affair, jeopardising Ella's marriage and her relationship with her young son Jim (Jack McElhone).

A man is arrested for the murder of the drowned girl, Cathie (Emily Mortimer), and Les is asked to attend court to give evidence.

In flashback, we see that Joe has lied to the police.

Young Adam is a scintillating adaptation of Alexander Trocchi's 50s beat novel, which never shies away from its graphic depictions of sex and longing.

Director David Mackenzie creates scenes of stunning beauty, but also captures the grime and grind of life on the river, which clings to the characters' skins.

McGregor's anti-hero lacks any semblance of moral fibre, yet we find ourselves liking Joe.

When the pivotal moment arrives, and Joe must decide whether to save the innocent man who has been arrested for Cathie's murder or divulge all that he knows, and thereby implicate himself, we are compelled to ask ourselves what we would do in a similar situation.

Swinton and Mullan are mesmerising as a husband and wife trying to ignore their unhappiness, until Joe forces them to confront it head-on.

By which time, the damage is beyond repair.

Rating: 8/10

DAMON SMITH