Control Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Ian Curtis is a quiet and rather sad lad who works for an employment agency and sings in a band called Warsaw. He meets a girl named Debbie whom he promptly marries and his band, of which the name in the meantime has been changed to Joy Division, gets more and more successful. Even though Debbie and he become parents, their relationship is going downhill rapidly and Ian starts an affair with Belgium Annik whom he met after one of the gigs and he's almost never at home. Ian also suffers from epilepsy and has no-good medication for it. He doesn't know how to handle the feelings he has for Debbie and Annik and the pressure the popularity of Joy Division and the energy performing costs him.
| Samantha Morton | Deborah Curtis |
| Sam Riley | Ian Curtis |
| Alexandra Maria Lara | Annik Honoré |
| Joe Anderson | Peter Hook |
| Toby Kebbell | Rob Gretton |
| Craig Parkinson | Tony Wilson |
| James Anthony Pearson | Bernard Sumner |
| Harry Treadaway | Stephen Morris |
| Andrew Sheridan | Terry Mason |
| Robert Shelly | Twinny |
| Matthew McNulty | Nick Jackson |
| Ben Naylor | Martin Hannett |
| Herbert Grönemeyer | Public GP |
| Nigel Harris | Tramp |
| Tim Plester | Earnest Richards |
| Anton Corbijn |
8.20 out of 10 (3091 votes)
Visitor Reviews
An extremely moving experience
posted on 20 Aug 2009Days away from embarking on a long dreamed about tour of the United States, Ian Curtis, the lead singer of the band Joy Division, hanged himself on May 23, 1980 from a rope in the kitchen of his apartment. His suicide not only ended his promising young life but also the dreams of a generation. Twenty seven years after his death, the eulogizing continues. Last year saw a documentary by Christian Davies: Joy Division: Under Review and this year has brought two more films: Joy Division: The Last True Story In Pop by Grant Gee and Control, the winner of the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Based on the 1996 memoir "Touching From a Distance" by Ian's widow Deborah Curtis, the film follows Curtis' life from his teenage years to his tragic death at age twenty three.Unlike conventional bio-pics like Ray and Walk the Line with their star glamorizing propensities, Control delivers a three-dimensional portrait of a real human being and how his troubles affected the people closest to him. The film is directed by photographer and video director Anton Corbijn, a celebrated photographer who took some of the most recognized photos of Joy Division. Because he knew and worked with the band, the emotional connection to its subject is palpable. The film is shot in black and white and the choice underscores the grayness of Curtis' home town of Macclesfield, England and the grim mood of much of the work.The major reason for the film's success, however, rests with lead actor Sam Riley who eerily recreates Curtis in appearance and voice. He performs all of the band's iconic songs such as Atmosphere, Love Will Tear Us Apart, and Twenty-Four Hours himself, using Curtis' robotic hand motions on stage to great effect. Another outstanding performance is that of Samantha Morton who plays Deborah Curtis, Ian's loving and patient wife who is overwhelmed by her husband's success and her new responsibilities as a mother of their daughter. Married at a very young age, both husband and wife lack the strength to make a go of it especially with the pressure of Curtis' epileptic seizures growing worse, and Ian's on again off again affair with Belgian journalist Annik (Alexandra Maria Lara).Though the subject matter is melancholy, Matt Greenhalgh's script provides a light touch filled with trenchant one-liners from the group's manager Rob Gretton (Tony Kebbell) and witty remarks from band members Joe Anderson, James Anthony Pearson and Harry Treadaway. Although Curtis has become one of rock's most mythologized figures, Riley plays him simply as a very innocent, down to earth young man whose talent was much greater than his ability to handle it. Control is an extremely moving experience whether or not you have foreknowledge of the events of Curtis' life. It is a film that has the power to touch and leave memories that are indelible.
Pretty surfaces, shallow depths
posted on 04 Aug 2009I'm reminded of why biopics generally fail when they attempt to present some objective truth about their subjects based on the subjective impressions of people that knew them: the inner lives of others, even that one person we are closer to than anyone else, remain mysteries to us. Control's Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) is composed of the recollections of his widow, Deborah Curtis, who shares co-writing credit and served as the film's executive producer. Like Hari in Solyaris who is incomplete because she's only a manifestation of Kris Kelvin's impressions of her, there appears to be nothing more to Ian than what Deborah believes to be the truth about him.While Ian remains incomplete, Annik Honoré (Alexandra Maria Lara), the third party in this love triangle, is reduced to a cipher. We know nothing about her, and she appears to know nothing about Ian. Months into their relationship she implores him to open up by telling her his favorite film and color. That this conversation is the most intimate that they have beyond a clichéd marrying-young-is-a-mistake confession within hours of meeting, demonstrates how completely the deck is stacked against empathy for Annik and by consequence against understanding Ian's interest in Annik. The conclusion Control would have us draw is that Ian's tryst with Annik was the product of little more than base sexual desire muddled with repulsion at the banality of life with Housefrau Debbie Samantha Morton) and baby. This does a disservice to Ian, Annik and, ultimately, Deborah.
Extraordinarily Dull
posted on 29 Jul 2009If it weren't for the fame of this band, why would anyone be interested in making a film about Ian Curtis? There was little about this film or the subject that had any life to it. Was that the point? To show how utterly dull and lifeless he was off the stage floor? How inward and unable he was to communicate much real feeling to any of his friends or family? I feel sorry for the people in London who have to shell out almost 10 quid to see something like this. And, there was little in Anton Corbijn's cinematography to inspire artistic ooh's and ah's. The jump from photographer to filmmaker is not necessarily a natural one. This is not my idea of an interesting film on any level.
Take Control of your Joy today! And that is your New Order of the day!
posted on 27 Jul 2009Sam Riley's mesmerizing performance as former Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis in the bio pic "Control" undeniably had control as one of the best of 2007. Director Anton Corbin's cinematic take on the uncontrollable melancholic life of the un-joyous vocalist is a commendable film orchestration. Curtis committed suicide at age 23 in 1980. Corbin reveals Curtis' constant struggles with self-esteem, adultery, epilepsy, and fame throughout the narrative; starting with his post-adolescent days as a British loner to his self-destructive final act. Curtis married at a young age to gentle gal Debbie; but due to the hasty marriage, he consequently fell out of love in the coming years and suffered much self-ridden guilt from it. Curtis, still married, then meets a sexy Belgium named Annik and falls deeply in love with her even though he knows that adulterous "love will tear him apart". Corbin also shows us the Joy Division "transmission" from local band status to rock-solid popularity "atmosphere" status. The dialogue interactions scenes between the Joy Divisionees and their manager Rob Gretton are the film's comic relief from an otherwise gloomy rock star story. Samantha Morton's auteur work as Mrs. Debbie Curtis was one of the most powerful of the year and Ms. Morton proficiently demonstrates that she never lost control of her character. Joe Anderson, James Anthony Pearson, and Harry Treadaway were no "dead souls" in their performances as the Joy Division members. They just might be included in the "New Order" of promising British actors coming our way. And without a doubt you can book Toby Kebbell's effort as Gretton as one that definitely rocked! But it is Riley's ("believe it or not" "Is that really Ian Curtis?") acting that falls as probably as the most overlooked performance of 2007. I was all hung up when Sam's stunning achievement was "isolated" away from the Best Actor Oscar nominees list for 2007! I guess there is so much that we can control. Now it is time for you take control and tune in to "Control" today! ***** Excellent
For fans and newcomers alike, a riveting portrayal of a young life falling apart
posted on 23 Jul 2009Anton Corbijn's film Control charts the life of Ian Curtis, the lead singer with Joy Division, who committed suicide aged just 23. Curtis is introduced as a confident, Bowie-aping, Wordsworth-quoting teenager. Very soon he is a young married father and has joined a local band, first known as Warsaw and then as Joy Division. The pressures exerted on Curtis by performing with the band, his deteriorating health and an extra-marital affair lead to the unravelling of his life and mental state. The music, the drugs and the marriage that had once brought contentment become sources of anxiety and despair, culminating in his tragic death.Sam Riley is remarkable in the role of Ian Curtis. His acting successfully spans from cocky teenager to tortured young parent, and his performance of Joy Division songs in clubs and studios are uncannily like the real thing; his singing voice and his dancing are spot on. The performance of 'Transmission' on live television is an electrifying experience and one of the high points of the film.Sarah Morton is excellent in the role of Deborah Curtis, Ian's wife, whose memoirs formed the basis for this film. Ian's betrayal of his faithful wife and young daughter is often painful to watch. The other band members of Joy Division, who went on to perform the band New Order after Curtis's death, are convincingly portrayed, from chirpy guitarist Bernard Sumner to surly bassist Peter Hook. Curtis's band-mates try to be supportive of him as his condition worsens, as do the music industry types surrounding him, including Rob Gretton, the band's sharp-witted agent, and Tony Wilson, the ultra-enthusiastic head of Factory Records. But the real tragedy here is that no one really understood what has happening to Ian or how to help him.Photographer-director Anton Corbijn renders the film's settings in striking black and white. Much of the film is set in Macclesfield and the monochrome imagery plays upon Curtis's growing boredom and disillusionment with his hometown. Corbijn succeeds in creating a music biopic that is accessible to newcomers; I came to this film with little prior knowledge of the music and story of Joy Division and came away with much, much more. The film is adept at drawing connections between Curtis's life outside the band and how this fed into his lyrics and performances, notably when his relationship with his wife begins to sour and he responds by penning the words to 'She's Lost Control.' This is a superb film for fans and newcomers alike and certainly the best British film of last year.
Reminds me of 'This Sporting Life'
posted on 19 Jul 2009The story of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis is closer in style to 'This Sporting Life' than '24 Hour Party People'(one of my all-time favourite films). Anton Corbijn's film recalls that English socialist realist style of the early 1960s, with it's black and white cinematography and drab North of England setting. In Lindsay Anderson's film, Frank Machin escaped the dead end of a miner's life via Rugby League. Here, Curtis escapes the tedium of being an adviser at a Labour Exchnage in the 1970s via rock music. There's nothing in the film to suggest that Curtis - who committed suicide in 1980 - was a particular interesting character let alone an interesting subject for a feature film. In his film debut, Sam Riley has the impossible task of recreating Curtis. Often he seems vacant rather than enigmatic. Yet he's a handsome presence and does all his own singing, which adds to the feeling of authenticity. The film holds our attention when his wife Debbie is at the centre of the film. She's played by Samantha Morton, who goes from sweet teenage schoolgirl to sad-eyed wife with remarkable conviction. As an actress, Morton just gets better and better with each role.
Great acting, well shot but dull
posted on 07 Jul 2009Being a fan of Joy Division I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. I did not get to see it on the big screen, as I had hoped. Maybe I was expecting too much based on all the great reviews but I was disappointed by this movie. It had great acting and it was well shot but the pace was just too slow for me. In particular the scenes involving Riley and Lara really dragged. Shooting it in black and white was a great idea. I also did not have a lot history of his life, so the movie did answer lots of questions for me. I was surprised to see he was a civil servant. If only there was a better script this movie would be a classic for me. But maybe on a second watching I will see more.
A fitting and worthwhile tribute
posted on 07 Jul 2009As a fan of Joy Division and also hearing so many positive things said about this movie,it was with some trepidation that I watched 'Control'.So often it is the films that you really look forward to that can disappoint the most.I am glad to say that this movie is very well made and a fitting tribute to the life of Ian Curtis.Filmed in black and white,this gives the film the atmosphere needed for the subject matter.While we may all know the outcome,the ending is done with subtlety and handled in a very professional manner.The movie never tries to gloss over the darker phases of Curtis' life but there is never the slightest hint of sensationalism and you get the feeling that the story of his life is being told in an honest and accurate way.As for the acting,it is uniformly excellent throughout.Sam Riley gives a very good performance as Ian Curtis especially when he is on stage.He truly becomes the troubled singer and deserves the plaudits that he has received for this film.He could have a pretty good future ahead of him.Samantha Morton is as reliable as ever as Deborah.She shows the torment but also the love she felt for Ian Curtis in a convincing way and it is to her credit that she manages to portray a woman quite a few years younger than herself in an always truthful and honest way.I was also impressed with Toby Kebbell as the manager of Joy Division Rob Gretton.He brings humour and a touch of cynicism to the role and almost steals the movie.Actually,there aren't really any dud performances in this film at all.This is a fine film and captures the spirit of the time perfectly.Well directed,beautifully shot and a very good script.Recommended.
Visually and musically satisfying
posted on 03 Jul 2009I expected a lot from "Control" after reading one or two glowing reviews and mostly I was not disappointed. It was every bit as gorgeous visually as the reviews led me to believe, and the music was enthralling, as I imagine it would have been watching Joy Division in person. However, I didn't find the emotional story as convincing.The actors were all terrific, from leads Sam Riley as Ian Curtis and Samantha Morton as his wife Deborah down to the extras at shows, but special mention should go to Tony Kebbell as manager Rob Gretton, and Eady Williams as the Curtis' baby Natalie.Despite the overall gloom of the story, this movie has moments of great humor and beauty. However, I was not emotionally convinced by the on screen relationship between Ian and Annik. As portrayed by Alexandra Maria Lara, Annik is pretty, but otherwise not very substantive. This is understandable when you remember that the movie is based on the book written by Ian's wife.I was also not very moved by the depiction of Ian Curtis's epilepsy and the difficulties he had with his medications. I never really felt what it was like to BE Ian; mostly I saw a mopey bastard who was a neglectful father and cheating husband. In turn, I was not much moved by Ian's eventual demise, because the build-up wasn't convincing.I found Sam Riley's performance mesmerizing, but there were too many moody shots of him walking around in his trench coat.
Great cinematography!
posted on 25 Jun 2009Like everyone else, I loved the look of this movie. Beautiful, very artistic, Black and White shots were a joy to behold.The story was good too, riveting in parts, although kind of predictable, well if you were a fan of Joy division, you know the story. LOL.Not the Savior of British cinema as everyone is making it out to be.But sumptuous (sp?) visuals, and some good acting elevates this above the average movie, what more do you want?Well worth seeing, but don't expect a ground-breaking film and you will enjoy it immensely.
Devasted
posted on 23 Jun 2009The first time I heard of Control was on a blog about the Cannes Film Festival, so as a Joy division's fan I couldn't wait to see it. When I knew that it was featured in Cannes and somewhere in Milan, my friends and I could not miss it. Well we were all blown away, I think devastated is the right word for how we felt after it. We cried, we did not speak for at least an hour.Before watching the film I only knew that Corbijn was a photographer and it's quite comprehensible since the photography is perfect, it's a great choice the black and white.Sam Riley as Ian Curtis is simply great, he's much better as an actor than a musician =P , he catches Curtis' tormented soul brilliantly. Samantha Morton is good as always, even if I must admit that I found Deborah Curtis pretty annoying.Well, in the end I think it's quite clear that I loved this film, I'm looking forward the official release to see it again and again, but I'm afraid ( for not to say sure) that here in Italy we'll have to wait a long time as always. Damn.
For the love of Joy Division
posted on 09 Jun 2009I don't know if it's one of the best movie ever made but I gave it a 10 for the love of Joy Division.I think the movie is so beautiful and depressing (almost everything that I found beautiful is depressing), the picture is really great ...but most of all it's about the life of Ian Curtis and I almost cried when I saw Sam Riley moving his arms like Ian.If you love Joy Division, how could you not love this movie ??? What about you ? Astronaut__________________Tyler Durden: Where'd you go, psycho boy? Narrator: I felt like destroying something beautiful.
Signalling a Kitchen-Sink revival?
posted on 07 Jun 2009Anton Corbijn polished his craft as a stills photographer, and this film's greatest strength lies in its visual quality. Nearly all of it works as a series of animated stills. It certainly could not have done so well in colour: the director's experience shooting in mono for the music press (the 'inkies'), including of course the real-life Joy Division, and his professed admiration for early Ken Loach films, especially 'Kes', comes through clearly.Michael Winterbottom has already covered a little part of the Ian Curtis story in '24 Hour Party People', including his suicide when 23. Matt Greenhalgh has said he was sorry to have missed the opportunity to write the script for it. As he is a Manchester guy he was the director's and producer Orian William's popular choice to write the screenplay for this one. The curious link here is that Craig Parkinson, who plays impresario Tony Wilson, the central figure in 'Party People', looks more like his impersonator Steve Coogan than the man himself, who, although he died before this film was finished, co-produced it with Curtis' widow Deborah. Toby Kebbell, truly unrecognisable from 'Dead Man's Shoes', puts so much meat into his portrayal of the band's manager, incidentally, that it's possible to re-imagine the whole saga being told from his point-of view, as some kind of very black comedy.Much is made of the extraordinary contrast between musicians' day-jobs and rock 'n' roll stage personas: Curtis worked, neatly brushed and keen, in an employment exchange until the sun went down and he made his dreams of Gothic, sci-fi and beat poet imagery come alive on stage. Sam Riley has been touted as a 'non-actor' (another nod to Loach) but he handles the Jekyll and Hyde task very well. The gig scenes are convincingly handled, (something Antonioni, for instance, made such a mush of in 'Blow-Up') although a brief appearance by John Cooper Clarke the 'punk poet', playing his much younger self, just about blows everything else off the stage. Curtis got married young, to a local girl (Samantha Morton in yet another sublime disguise) but fell for Annik (Alexandra Maria Lara), a skinny and dangerous Other Woman from Belgium. It was being torn between these two beauties that inspired his most famous song, and combined with epilepsy and chronic stage fright that contributed to his suicide.Before he became epileptic himself, he witnessed a job-seeker he was interviewing, suddenly having a major seizure. It's shown mostly from his point-of-view. It's an important event to include - he wrote 'She's Lost Control' about it - although misunderstanding about epilepsy is so widespread that it's feasible to expect some of the audience to go home thinking he 'caught' it.The overbearing feeling of this film is of a Kitchen-Sink revival, albeit widescreen, and that's not just because of the monochrome. Just to top that, the final scene, as Ian Curtis leaves by way of the crematorium, of oil black smoke rising up to fill the sky, may be a reference to the milieu where the original concentration camp joy division had to work as sex slaves; although it has strong similarities with Charles Foster Kane's big finale.
love will tear (this review) apart
posted on 05 Jun 2009This is the movie Joy Division deserves - a mediocre biography of a mediocre band. Nothing personal, but come on. We're not talking about the Stones and the Maysles here. It's Joy Division. Joy Division isn't a big deal. Joy Division isn't the Sex Pistols. Joy Division isn't the Clash. Joy Division isn't even Roxy Music. Joy Division is just Joy Division - a briefly interesting band with a very light catalog, fronted by a guy whose greatest contribution to pop vocals was apathy.But so what, you say; great art can be made about weak artists. I agree. At least I don't deny it. But by Anton Corbijn? The best that can be said about him is that he's a good photographer and probably a very nice guy. A couple of Depeche Mode videos do not an auteur make.The casting's great, and the script is okay; but the film-maker's weaknesses, like for instance film-making, vein CONTROL with fissures. Primarily, there is no energy anywhere. The movie looks like it was made while everyone behind the camera, and most of the folks in front of it, were asleep. The concert scenes are among the most stagnant in the film, which is saying a lot. The movie drags all the time, the actors never know what speed to play (often Sam Riley appears to have been the only actor in a scene to receive direction), and ultimately the movie repeats itself for much of its final hour. So, perhaps I misspoke earlier: Ian Curtis probably deserved better than this.
Sad movie...
posted on 30 May 2009why does great talent die young ? only 23 and had yet to live a full life. good movie, however it was depressing, and enlightening at the same time. it was a bit slow paced for my tastes. Overall, I was only familiar with one of their hit songs that was played relentlessly on the Radio here in Seattle. The problem I think during that Era is that everybody was overshadowed by Kurt Cobains, "Nirvana" . When Kurt hit the scene, music that resembled that genre, either pre or post Kurt were judged by his Benchmark, which in mainstream music is a tough one to compete against.So in retrospect, I barely heard of the Joy Division music cause the Seattle scene has left a major mark on Music History and anyone else fell by the way side.I liked the movie, though depressing and sad. Reminds me what real genuine talent will sacrifice for pure art. Something you won't find today. todays musicians are formulated pop teenybop no talent having moneymaker music whores. They all sound alike. something you can play in an elevator.Ian Curtis, was the real deal. The Genuine Article. Real Talent. The truth and passion expressed through his art, which is why we love music in the first place.
Meh, average
posted on 24 May 2009Very disappointing. In attempting to cover Curtis' personal relationships, the story of the band and his epilepsy it ends up exploring none in any real depth. The first hour and 25 minutes cover a lot of time very briefly. We never actually see a relationship form, he meets people and 5 minutes later they're a couple or they're friends. Also the performances are average. Everyone looks the part until they speak, when they open their mouths it sounds like they've just read what they're saying, while Morton and Riley do capture who they're playing to some extent no one convinced me they were actually in it.It picks up at about 1 hr 25 when they start to deliver the dialogue and emotion convincingly when Tony Kebell is having a rant as Rob Gretton. It's the first scene where I forgot I was watching a film and for the last half hour it's better. It also helps that the last half hour covers a few days rather than the years covered in the hour and half before.The actors music performances aren't convincing, they sound like a tribute act with a good rhythm section. Riley only sounds like Curtis on the odd line. It certainly doesn't present the characters as the same people they are in the far superior book it's based on. Kebell (amazing in dead man's shoes) does better than most but Paddy Considine was better in 24 Hour Party People. Whoever played Peter Hook wasn't great and Bernard Sumner is presented as a wet blanket. In fact any scene with a counterpart in 24 Hour Party People is done better in that film. The death of Curtis ultimately has little emotional impact thanks to what has come before it. In fact the only really effective part of the ending is when the excellent Atmosphere is played. That one song is more touching and affecting than the 2 hour film (though Morton is also good in the final scenes). They should've focused more on his relationship using the band as a back drop. I really wanted to like this film as I love Joy Division, but for a decent account of this time, read the book.
in response to "Atrocity Exhibition - Too Easy to Watch"
posted on 22 May 2009personally, i think your '' critique" posted on this forum is just an arrogant attempt to demonstrate your "knowledge" of cinematography. sorry, i've seemed to have derailed from the movie, but i'll get to that in a second. from what i've taken from your critique, the only parts you seem to thoroughly enjoy are the scenes that involve joy division or joy division performances. well, bare in mind that this movie was never meant to circulate joy divisions career, buy merely Ian Curtis' personal qualms. so i'll just say this to be as straight forward as i can, if you came to see a joy division film and was completely disappointed, you're f*ckin stupid. but if you came to see a film about a man with a dream and the trials and tribulations he endured....and it JUST SO HAPPENED to be that this involved being the front man of Joy Division, then this movie is for you! i just think its funny how you criticize the acting choices chosen by Sam Riley. the cocky charm, the attractiveness and my personal favorite, the ' theatrical wistful stare'. uh, its a f*ckin a movie? "...nothing like Ian Curtis; he wasn't attractive, he wasn't likable; he was an ugly, cold, self-involved person, and knew it."so, you must've known Ian Curtis personally since apparently you know that he knew he was "an ugly, cold, self-involved person, and knew it". you must've had sleepovers, huh? apparently, Sam Riley didn't get the memo cause he has big drawn eyes, a wiry frame, a cocky charm and most of all, a theatrically wistful stare. Ian Curtis is rolling in his grave over this. "Morton was a cliché of the down-trodden and doting wife, all watery eyed and desperately attempting to put their problems out of her mind" because we know that i sure as hell don't act that way with my estranged significant other. Morton was just being "dramatic"...that bitch. shame on her for depicting desperate housewives in a non vengeful, sexually charged way like Eva Longoria! bare in mind that a lot of the script was based on the writings on Ian and Deborah Curtis themselves. how does this film condone suicide if its a rendition a true events? seriously, tell me. you seem to disagree on the idea that it doesn't condone, yet, you cant show an example as to how it actually does. the scene doesn't even glorify suicide in any way from what i see. lemme just ask you one more thing, since you apparently know so much about film and cinematography, what in your mind would have made this a good film? tell me, i'd love to know instead of watching this god awful crap of a film.simply put, you didn't criticize the film on anything relevant. and I think you're just trying to show off how smart you are "The film was really very weak and didn't entice in any way." << you really very have some really very incorrect grammar in that sentence. really very incorrect grammar.p.s. oh yea, here's my thoughts on the film. Well done, but don't take my word for it, just watch it yourself. done
Bleak, unflinching portrait of a genius
posted on 20 May 2009In the history of popular music, Ian Curtis stands like a colossus. The music he created in collaboration with the other members of Joy Division met with limited commercial success initially but over the years has been massively influential on generations of musicians.Now we have "Control", a brutally honest account of Ian's life. Shot entirely in black-and-white, the film oozes a deep arctic chill which successfully evokes the inner desolation that Curtis appears to have felt for much of his tragically short existence. The film moves at a brisk pace from his adolescence in uber-drab Macclesfield (outside Manchester) when he idolized David Bowie and Lou Reed, through the formation and rise of Joy Division, up to his suicide in 1980 aged 23.Newcomer Sam Riley pulls out all the stops in his portrayal of Curtis. He portrays him as in many ways a very ordinary young man blessed with an otherworldly talent, but also cursed by epilepsy and a savage depression that left him unable to express his love and need for those he cared about in any other way except through his music. However, the film is unafraid to portray him as being at times jealous, controlling, self-centered and dishonest- particularly in relation to the women in his life. In "Control", Curtis is human, vulnerable- he makes mistakes, he lies and hurts the people who care for him the most. The film makes it clear just how much pain he inflicts on others, particularly after his death. But it is also shown that he carries immeasurable remorse and self-loathing for not being the person that he feels that he should be, and is also painfully aware of how much he can hurt the people he loves. His life is a battle- against epilepsy and the side effects of the medication he is given to control it, and also against an insanely deep existential hopelessness about himself.The supporting cast are nearly all outstanding in their portrayals of people who clearly value Ian beyond words but simply don't know how to reach him, or don't hear in his music his expressions of how much pain he is really in. The scenes where he performs "Dead Souls" and "Isolation" are truly heartbreaking in their depictions of a deeply anguished man who is basically screaming for help through his art, but cannot express those same feelings directly even to the people he loves the most.In conclusion, this is a deeply moving and truly honest depiction of one man's valiant struggle to cope with a life that overwhelms him. Obviously, there is a lot of Joy Division's music featured and it sounds simply stunning. Anton Corbijn's direction is restrained, low-key, and unobtrusive. He doesn't add any spin or tack-on morals onto Curtis' story but instead allows the audience to reach their own judgments.Ian Curtis gave the world so much, he fought until the end to see something other than darkness- yet even now continues to fill the lives of so many others with a deeply beautiful light. This film is a fitting tribute to a very human genius.Ian Curtis. 1956-1980. RIP
Not as good as it could have been 6.5/10
posted on 10 May 2009This film largely will appeal to a small niche group who know and like the Joy Division music and already knew the story. The film itself is a reasonable attempt, but it is a bit drawn out and uninteresting in parts, it is no masterpiece and is not worthy of an 8+ rating, a 6-7/10 is closer to the mark.Currently nearly 58% of the vote is rating this as a 9 or 10, I smell a "ramp job" as is the case with so many new movies on IMDb these days.I also feel that the movie failed to capture the facts as well as it could have. Curtis came across as weak & indecisive and it almost seemed as if his epilepsy was an unfortunate aspect of his life that just added to his feelings of depression. Rather it was a debilitating condition that caused him immense embarrassment and feelings of guilt, self loathing and ultimately lead to deep depression. The degree of impact that his seizures had on his life were understated in the film. Some of the more interesting parts of Curtis's life were omitted or only touched upon in favor of some fairly bland sequences, the book "Torn Apart: The Life Of Ian Curtis" took a much more personal look at his life.Also the part where Tony Wilson "signed" the band to his label in his own blood is a well known myth/publicity stunt.
Control
posted on 30 Aug 2009Lots of time without much fanfare some movies are released, and amidst all the new movies – lots of time they get lost. It requires special skills to keep your sense open to read reviews from papers and friends to identify and be aware of some good movies are running. Control falls into that category.This is a true story of British iconic signer Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) who is young, ambitious and dreamer. At tender age of 17-18 years gets involved with his friend's fiancée Deborah Curtis (Samantha Morton), and marries her. Parallel to that his career builds up as a lead singer with a small group called Joy Division. Years pass by and Ian gets involved with a journalist Annik (Alexandra Maira Lara) who comes to interview the rising stars. Ian troubles increase when he faces the terrible epileptic attacks. He is under pressure to deliver professionally – something new every time he is on stage. He does not feel the same passion with increasing commercial pressures. Ian remains confused and is not able to decide between his wife Deborah and his lover Annik – to both he hides his emotions and starts telling lies. In that depressed state – he starts drinking (which is bad for an epileptic) and feels falsely rejected and hated by everyone around him – finally leading him to get miserably drunk, and after a severe epileptic attack, commits suicide by hanging himself.This movie is co-produced by Ian's wife Deborah Curtis, who has also written a biography Touching from a Distance – on which the movie is based. This is Dutch still camera photographer and music video maker turned Movie Director Anton Cobijn debut movie. He has done a marvelous job as a Director. The movie is shot in Black and White by cinematographer Martin Ruhe (I thought Anton would shoot the images himself). But the screen canvass is wonderfully shot – each image looking like a post-card perfect picture.A special mention of the musical score used in original of Joy Division band. It is reminisces of 70's era and music.Sam Riley digs deep into the psyche of Ian's character and one can not imagine Ian being any different from Sam. Brilliant role and performance which is well supported by all the other cast! Sam has already won 1 award for this role and the movie gathered 7 awards totally, and I think there would be more to come.Hats off to Anton Cobijn to delicately handle this difficult subject of a singer's 4-5 years short life with such finesse! (Stars 7.75 out of 10)