Control (2007)

"Control" review

My son and I loved this film. My son is a big Joy Division fan and he found this film a really good representation of the short life and career of Ian Curtis. We both were blown away by Sam Riley's performance as Ian Curtis. He was spot on in every way. July 16, 2008

it was so-so

this movie didn't impress me. Deborah's book,"Touching From a Distance" was much better. i'd wish i had simply rented instead of purchasing the film. July 13, 2008

Good movie

I have been a huge Joy Division fan since I first discovered them in 1990. I was a freshman in college and my neighbor in the dorm room next to me had it playing. I had been a big New Order fan and somehow was totally in the dark about their link with Joy Division. Since then, I have tried to read and watch everything I could get my hands on about JD. This movie was very interesting and enlightening. Every JD/NW fan should watch it. I highly recommend it. July 12, 2008

One of the best rock bio-pics ever!

Noted rock photographer and video maker Anton Corbijn, who had met the members of Joy Division on a couple of occasions in the late 1970s, makes his debut as a director of a feature film with his take on the life and death of Ian Curtis. (The script is based on the 1995 memoir from Debbie Curtis, Ian's wife.)

As to the film, "Control" (122 min.) is as good a rock bio-pic that I can remember, keeping in mind that this is meant to be a film about Ian Curtis, not about Joy Division as such. Ian's struggles with epilepsy, alcohol and medication abuse, and most of all his relationship with people, including his wife Debbie, his Belgian girlfriend Annik, the band members, and last but not least, himself. As the movie goes on, and Ian's moods turn darker, it becomes more difficult to watch, because you now how it all will end. The movie is appropriately shot in black and white. The acting is outstanding, none more so than Sam Riley as Ian Curtis. Special kudos als for the four actors playing the Joy Division songs. This is not a playback or dubbed: it's the actors themselves playing the music, and they did a great job at it. I thought that Anton Corbijn did an outstanding job as well in directing this film.

The DVD comes with a number of nice extras. In particular "The Making of Control" (23 min.) and "A Conversation with Anton Corbijn" (12 min.) are quite insightful. The "Extended Live Performances From the Film" segment is mislabeled, in the sense that it brings a mere 3 songs (Transmission, Candidate, and Leaders of Men), so it is not quite the "extension" it could have been. There are a couple of videos as well, most interesting the 1979 performance from a BBC show, which is fascinating (and underscores how well Sam Riley has "caught" Ian Curtis). In all, "Control" is a fantastic movie. It puzzles me why the movie failed to get any traction at the box office here in the US (it was released only in a couple of cities; I never had a chance to see it in the theatre here in Cincinnati). This DVD is a nice way to catch up. If you have a nice home theatre-style sound system, it will absolutely enhance your enjoyment of this film. "Control" is highly recommended! July 4, 2008

A well balanced tribute

Control is the movie version of the book Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division by Deborah Curtis. Although the movie is a kinder portrayal of the life of Ian Curtis, it succeeds in showing him as a cruel and dark person. One understands that it is from these depths that the innovation and art of the music of Joy Division comes from, yet this was no excuse for the way that he treated those who loved him. In fact, Control is more a love story than a musical tribute to Joy Division. The film contained the correct balance of dramatic and musical effect. The starkness of the black and white filming helped add to this effect. It is also useful that a lack of hero worship is given to Ian, unlike the life of many of his fallen musical sole mates. This helps one admire the music of Joy Division for what it is rather than who created it. July 1, 2008

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