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Description
Control tells the remarkable story of Ian Curtis, lead singer of the influential band Joy Division and one of the most enigmatic figures in all of rock music. Based on his wife's memoir, Control follows Curtis' humble Manchester origins and his rapid rise to fame, tormented battle with epilepsy, and struggles with love that led to his death at the age of 23.
Amazon.com
In his elegiac debut, Anton Corbijn combines the music film with the social drama to stunning success. Based on Deborah Curtis's clear-eyed biography, Touching from a Distance, Control recounts the wrenching tale of a working-class lad about to hit the highest highs only to be waylaid by the lowest lows. Born and raised in Macclesfield, a suburban community outside Manchester, Ian Curtis (newcomer Sam Riley in a remarkable performance) dreams of fronting a band. Just out of high school in the mid-1970s, he finds three like minds with whom he forms post-punk quartet Warsaw--better known as Joy Division (Riley and castmates ably recreate their somber sound). All the while, he falls in love, marries, and fathers a child with Deborah (Samantha Morton, turning a thankless role into a triumph). While Curtis should be enjoying parenthood and newfound fame, he's plagued by seizures. A diagnosis of epilepsy leads to powerful medications with unpredictable side effects. Then, while on tour, he falls in love with another woman. His solution to these problems is a matter of public record, but Corbijn concentrates on Curtis's life rather than his death. Just as Control establishes a link between such disparate black and white works as fellow photographer Bruce Weber's Let's Get Lost and kitchen-sink classics like The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, the Dutch-born, UK-based director presents his subject not as some iconic T-shirt image, but as a deeply flawed--if massively talented--human being. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Visually and Musically Striking Portrait of Joy Division's Ian Curtis., 2008-09-04
Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn made "Control" about the man and the band that brought him to England: Ian Curtis of Joy Division, which carried on as New Order after Curtis' death in 1980. "Control" follows Curtis' life from 1973-1980, starting with his high school days in Macclesfield with future wife Debbie (Samantha Morton), through joining a band with Bernard Sumner (James Anthony Pearson) and Peter Hook (Joe Anderson) in 1976, to Joy Division's success -having added drummer Stephen Morris (Harry Treadaway). All the while, Ian (Sam Riley) suffered increasingly from the crushing stress of the band and family, exacerbated by side effects from his medications for inadequately uncontrolled epilepsy. Anton Corbijn knew Curtis briefly, having photographed the band, so "Control" feels like a personal and heartfelt project.
The black-and-white photography, Sam Riley's resemblance to Ian Curtis, and the music are striking. The music is actually performed by the actors, whose instruments are plugged in and microphones turned on. Riley has limited experience as an actor; he is a singer, and a darned good one for Joy Division's post-punk sound. They sound good. The gig scenes are electric. "Control" is black-and-white, because the band's visual history is almost entirely black-and-white. It's beautiful. The film is longer than it needs to be but doesn't feel prolonged. It spends time establishing Ian Curtis' ambition, talent, temperament, and then his deteriorating state of mind. Sam Riley's performance is surprisingly charismatic and sympathetic without ever being sentimental. Toby Kebbell provides some comic relief as manager Rob Gretton. "Control" is the story of a modern poet and one of the most memorable music-themed films I've seen.
The DVD (Weinstein 2008): "The Making of Control" (23 min) interviews the director about his inspiration and decisions, the cast about playing real people, and writer Matt Greenhalgh about his process. "In Control: A Conversation with Anton Corbijn" (13 min) discusses the director's relationship with the band, his view of Curtis, and casting the film. "Extended Live Concert Performances from the Film" (9 min) offers 3 performances. "Music Videos" are "Transmission" from 1979 (3 1/2 min), "Atmosphere" (4 min) from 1988, and a cover of "Shadowplay" (4 min) by The Killers from 2007. There is a Still Gallery of 49 photos, and "Promotional Materials" include 2 theatrical trailers. The director's audio commentary is constant and informative, although Anton Corbijn mumbles a bit. He talks about locations, filming, actors, the real Ian Curtis, and the reasons behind his choices. Subtitles are available for the film in English SDH and Spanish. Dubbing available in French.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Spine Tingling, 2008-09-03
I am an admitted Joy Division fan just to put that out there first off. And the true story is an easy dramatic starting point for a film to be based on for sure. But the directing, acting, editing, and cinematography quality from this pic simply blew me away. I was not expecting such care for detail and razor sharp precision yet artistic vision from a first time director (the famous photographer Anton Corbijn) and mostly unheard of cast. Yes at the least Mr. Sam Riley should have earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ian Curtis, no doubt about it. Samantha Riley is indescribably excellent as his wife Deborah, these two roles could not have been done better. The best complement I can give Control is that it captures the environment and 'atmosphere' of Ian Curtis's world like a dream.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent composition, 2008-08-29
Sam Riley's performance definately made this movie. He is entirely convincing as Ian Curtis. The atmosphere, mood, and composition is also dead on, creating a wonderful and moving look at the early post-punk movement. I find myself agreeing with other reviewers who say that the movie could have been better...though I'm not sure what that would entail. There is, however, a lot of emotional subtley I think, and in the places where people claim that the movie "drags on", I think there is a virtue in being inexplicit about the character's struggle. I agree that this struggle could have been cut shorter, but I think the way in which the events leading up to Ian's suicide "drag on" somehow echoes the very appeal of Joy Division's music. It's dark and brooding, and it maintains the distance that is so central to Ian's tragedy.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Where is the motivation?, 2008-08-27
As a longtime Joy Division fan, I approached this film with trepidation. Knowing that Anton Corbijn is a huge JD fan eased my concerns, but the film is a bit of a mess. Yes, it looks good and the black and white photography plays to Corbijns strengths, but I kept saying to myself "If I didn't already know this story (and why is is so monumentally important) why would I care about it?" I could not identify what was motivating the characters in the movie and I think most people would have a difficult time generating much empathy for Ian. You're better off getting the recently released Joy Division documentary, which is very well done.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Indispensable but Limited, 2008-08-06
Of the three Joy Division films available, "24 Hour Party People," Grant Gee's excellent documentary "Joy Division," and "Control," "Control" is the least fun and the most demanding. It suffers from concentrating on Ian Curtis and his final days - it moves quickly through the formation of Joy Division to the chaotic and disastrous last week of his life, exploring his final hours in some detail. So it's depressing - interesting and beautiful to watch, but it ends badly, of course. The film does justice to the onset of his epilepsy, betrayal of his young wife and baby, a love affair he can't resist, the band's new fame, ending in his suicide, all sensitively treated with taste and restraint. Anton Corbijn's photography is gorgeous and the acting is strong, but the script is minimalist to a fault. A standout is the part of Annik Honore, played by the lissome and limpid-eyed Alexandra Maria Lara. Corbijn overdoes the shots of her smiling up prettily at Curtis from the audience in concert scene after scene, but this movie makes it as clear as the docu how different she was from Curtis's everyday Macclesfield milieu. Alexandra Maria Lara also played Hitler's high-spirited secretary Traudl in the outstanding "Downfall."
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