Control (2007)

Director:

Anton Corbijn

Writers:

Deborah Curtis (autobiography "Touching from a Distance")
Matt Greenhalgh (writer)

Release Date:

12 September 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Singer | New Wave Music | England | Vocalist

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 24 wins & 16 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herbert Grönemeyer	...	Public GP
Nigel Harris	...	Tramp
Nicola Harrison	...	Corrine Lewis
Tim Plester	...	Earnest Richards

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK | USA | Australia | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

France:Unrated | Australia:MA | USA:R | Sweden:7 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:14A | Netherlands:6 | Ireland:15A | Germany:12 | Finland:K-13 | Japan:PG-12 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, UK

Company:

Becker Films

Trivia:

The black-and-white film was actually shot in color, then transferred to black and white because, according to the director, the black and white film "was so grainy it looked like Super-8 even in 35 millimeter."

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2007-10-27)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Warszawa

An extremely moving experience

Days 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.