| Photos (see all 9 | slideshow) | Videos |
| 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 | |
Directed by | |||
| Anton Corbijn | |||
Writing credits(in alphabetical order) | ||
| Deborah Curtis | autobiography "Touching from a Distance" | |
| Matt Greenhalgh | writer | |
Produced by | |||
| Iain Canning | .... | executive producer | |
| Anton Corbijn | .... | producer | |
| Deborah Curtis | .... | co-producer | |
| Todd Eckert | .... | producer | |
| Lizzie Francke | .... | executive producer | |
| Megumi Fukasawa | .... | co-producer | |
| Peter Heslop | .... | co-producer | |
| Satoru Iseki | .... | co-producer | |
| Akira Ishii | .... | executive producer | |
| Korda Marshall | .... | executive producer | |
| Orian Williams | .... | producer | |
| Tony Wilson | .... | co-producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Joy Division | |||
| New Order | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Martin Ruhe | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Andrew Hulme | |||
Casting by | |||
| Shaheen Baig | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Chris Roope | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Philip Elton | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Julian Day | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Barbara Taylor | .... | hair assistant | |
| Barbara Taylor | .... | makeup assistant | |
| Jeremy Woodhead | .... | hair designer | |
| Jeremy Woodhead | .... | makeup designer | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Andrew Foster | .... | second assistant director | |
| Toni Staples | .... | first assistant director | |
| Katy Stenson | .... | third assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Cassie Leedham | .... | graphic designer | |
| Chris Richmond | .... | stand-by art director | |
| Tim Stevenson | .... | set constructor | |
Sound Department | |||
| Iain Anderson | .... | adr recordist | |
| Nick Baldock | .... | assistant sound editor | |
| Peter Baldock | .... | supervising sound editor: UK | |
| Ben Carr | .... | adr recordist | |
| Daniel Crowley | .... | boom operator | |
| Carl Edström | .... | sound effects editor | |
| Adele Fletcher | .... | adr editor | |
| Thomas Huhn | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Thomas Huhn | .... | supervising sound editor | |
| John Midgley | .... | production sound mixer | |
| Lucas Nilsson | .... | foley artist | |
| Jamie Roden | .... | adr mixer | |
| Jonas Jansson | .... | sound effects editor (uncredited?) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Mats Holmgren | .... | digital colourist | |
| Fredrik Nord | .... | digital effects artist | |
Stunts | |||
| Riky Ash | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Riky Ash | .... | stunts | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Tim Battersby | .... | first assistant camera: "a" camera | |
| Robert Binnall | .... | camera operator | |
| Andy Clarke | .... | best boy rigging gaffer | |
| Rachel Clark | .... | camera trainee | |
| Warwick Drucker | .... | key grip | |
| Brian Fawcett | .... | electrician | |
| Christopher Ross | .... | camera operator | |
| Barry Squires | .... | camera trainee | |
| Owen Tooth | .... | video tape operator | |
| Julian White | .... | gaffer | |
| Sophie Wilson | .... | second assistant camera: "a" camera | |
Casting Department | |||
| Brendan Donnison | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Benjamin Till | .... | casting assistant | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Maria Dahlin | .... | post-production coordinator | |
| Barry Moen | .... | first assistant editor | |
Music Department | |||
| Peter Clarke | .... | music editor | |
| Ian Neil | .... | music supervisor | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Rod Patterson | .... | transportation captain | |
Other crew | |||
| Lorraine Bagshaw | .... | stand-in | |
| Vicky Chapman | .... | location assistant | |
| Mel Churcher | .... | dialect coach | |
| Lee Clyne | .... | unit medic | |
| Helen de Winter | .... | delivery coordinator | |
| Zoe Flower | .... | unit publicist | |
| Dan Hodgett | .... | location services | |
| Rob Jones | .... | location manager | |
| Simon Jones | .... | tranport coordinator: London | |
| Hakan Kousetta | .... | production legal advisor | |
| Alastair Mackay | .... | location assistant | |
| Louise Melzack | .... | additional floor runner | |
| Keeley Naylor | .... | unit publicist | |
| Tina Pawlik | .... | assistant production coordinator | |
| Rachel Robey | .... | production coordinator | |
| Val White | .... | script supervisor | |
| Emma Yeomans | .... | assistant location manager | |
Thanks | |||
| Natalie Curtis | .... | thanks | |
| Martin L. Gore | .... | special thanks | |
| Herbert Grönemeyer | .... | thanks | |
| Charles Hannah | .... | special thanks | |
| New Order | .... | special thanks | |
| Iggy Pop | .... | thanks | |
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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.