Control
Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) has aspirations beyond the trappings of small town life in 1970's England. Wanting to emulate his musical heroes such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop, he joins a band and his musical ambition begins to thrive.
Soon though, the everyday fears and emotions that fuel his music slowly begin to eat away at him. Married young, with a daughter, he is distracted from his family commitments by a new love and the growing expectations of his band.
The strain manifests itself in his health. With epilepsy adding to his guilt and depression, desperation takes hold. Surrendering to the weight on his shoulders, Ian’s tortured soul consumes him.
Member Reviews
Very well done. - RobBC
This biopic of the life, and death, of Ian Curtis, lead singer for 80’s band “Joy Division”, is a well-acted and beautifully filmed drama. His rise to fame and subsequent breakdown is captured in razor-sharp B&W imagery; deftly avoiding cheap melodrama and instead delivering a street-level, working class tragedy.Control (2007) - andythesaint
Anton Corbijn's biopic Control, based on the life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, is able to break free from the standard, Behind the Music style of storytelling for the simple reason that Curtis' life didn't mirror those of Johnny Cash or Ray Charles. Since Joy Division didn't follow the same arc as most bands receiving biopics, Corbijn has to rely on different tricks to tell the story. The first being the choice to present the movie in black and white, an excellent choice given the sombre tone of the band's music. I've always felt their music existed in a world without colour, so the atmosphere of the movie is very appropriate. Newcomer Sam Riley is great as Curtis, giving an assured performance both while impersonating Curtis' manic stage presence and while showing the quiet intensity of Curtis' private life. Samantha Morton is sympathetic in her role as Deborah, playing a role ten years younger than herself while infusing the role with the necessary naivety and vulnerability.
As a Joy Division fan, it was pretty exciting to see the performances of some of their best songs while showing the behind the scenes moments that made them possible. The actors performed the songs themselves, helping them bring the performances alive, and did so ably. So I enjoyed the movie, as it would be difficult for me to not get into a movie that plays a Joy Division song every few minutes.
That said, I'm not sure it has a lot to offer for non-fans, other than a couple strong leading performances and some stunning images by Corbijn. In attempting to portray Curtis as an ordinary bloke, Corbijn sometimes forget to show what made his music so extraordinary. True, he was more famous posthumously than he was when he was alive, but that didn't change the fact that he was enormously talented, and the movie could've done a better job representing that then simply playing his songs.Stunning masterpiece from first-time director Corbijn - Filmgal
In a basic sense, Control is a biopic of the late lead singer Ian Curtis of Joy Division, whom at age 23, committed suicide at the height of the band's short career. But the film delves much deeper than just a traditional look at the life of an artist.
Director Anton Corbijn set himself a difficult task as his subject Curtis, has become somewhat mythologized in the eyes and hearts of fans. Corbijn successfully tells the supposed truth without demonishing any mythology surrounding Curtis while at the same time, does not elevate his status beyond a confused, and talented young man.
The film begins with Curtis- played by newcomer Sam Riley- as a high school student, young, with great hopes and dreams, and in love. A talented writer of poety, lyrics, and short stories, Curtis finds his niche when some friends are in need of a singer for their band. Temptation and excess on the road take a toll on Curtis' relationship with his wife Debbie (Samantha Morton) and his health begins to fail as he is diagnosed with a form of epilepsy. Forced to battle his demons on stage, Curtis is unable to cope with the pressures of being the famous rockstar his growing fanbase demands him to be and his own desire to be a better father and husband.
A tragic tale shot in beautiful black and white is the type of film only a seasoned photographer like Corbijn could make. Each frame of moving film stands on its own as a stunning photograph. Sam Riley, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the late frontman gives a gut wrenching performance and performs the songs with ease. He personifies the tragic Curtis as someone you both loathe for his personal choices and empathize with the difficult choices he is faced with. A very tender and honest portrayal. It is also interesting to note that Corbijn himself photographed Joy Division in the 80s.
Control should not be missed for its breathtaking art direction and affecting performance for fans and non-fans alike
Member Reviews
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Very well done. - RobBC
This biopic of the life, and death, of Ian Curtis, lead singer for 80’s band “Joy Division”, is a well-acted and beautifully filmed drama. His rise to fame and subsequent breakdown is captured in razor-sharp B&W imagery; deftly avoiding cheap melodrama and ...Control (2007) - andythesaint
Anton Corbijn's biopic Control, based on the life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, is able to break free from the standard, Behind the Music style of storytelling for the simple reason that Curtis' life didn't mirror those of Johnny Cash or Ray Charles. ...Stunning masterpiece from first-time director Corbijn - Filmgal
In a basic sense, Control is a biopic of the late lead singer Ian Curtis of Joy Division, whom at age 23, committed suicide at the height of the band's short career. But the film delves much deeper than just a traditional look at the life of an artist.
Director ...