Control (2007)

Posted : 4 months, 2 weeks ago at Feb 15 13:57

''When you look at your life, in a strange new room, maybe drowning soon, is this the start of it all?'' 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. Sam Riley: Ian Curtis Director of Control Anton Corbijn has finally joined the ranks of his contemporaries Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and Mark Romanek in directing his first full-length feature. No one could have been a better choice than this still photographer and music video director of cutting edge bands like Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnyman, and, of course, Joy Division themselves with the video for Atmosphere albeit eight years after the death of frontman Ian Curtis. Corbijn has the sensibilities to craft a gorg...Read more

Rating : 8/10

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago at May 6 8:05

"Joy Division, you cunt!" The band Joy Division managed to generate an astronomical fan base when they helped change the face of music during the 1970s. Control is a poignant, moving, emotive accolade to the life of an ill-fated rock-star named Ian Curtis (Riley) who was the lead singer of Joy Division. Control is a film that delves deep down into the profoundly troubled life of Ian; a man who died far too young. Ian had a sincere fondness for rock-stars like David Bowie and Iggy Pop. The film's hypnotic opening scene introduces us to a 17-year-old Ian Curtis who is on his way home from school. Control traces the circumstances that initiated his career. He felt that youthfulness meant that he could do whatever he wanted. In this case he married at a tender young age and gained a dau...Read more

Rating : 9/10

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago at Jan 16 7:12

The chances of a poet living into their 30's must only be 50%. And a punk singers chances must also only be 50%. Since Ian Curtis was a poet who turned to punk music his chances of living to a ripe old age were zero. And this movie follows his brief time as an adult. And a good movie it is. The director frequently lets the scene tell the story, rather than having the characters narrate their every move. And the acting was excellent. And Sam Riley was hynotizingly watchable. I was not a fan of the black and white... it gave the movie a very 60's feel to the movie, and it took place in the 70's. And there was nothing B/W about the 70's! But still an excellent movie.

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago at Dec 9 15:54

I had the highest possible expectations for this one, being a Joy Division fan, and it let me down a little. Control has a huge hype behind it, and it's partially true: it's a beautiful, sensitive movie with superb acting. If you're a fan of the post-punk musical genre (or Joy Division, for that matter), you simply MUST watch this - if you aren't, here's a chance to be a fan, or be annoyed. If not the best piopic of 2007, it's second only to La Môme (Edith Piaf's).

Rating : 9/10

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago at Oct 30 18:42

Well written and directed biopic about Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division. Riley does a good job of portraying the young and quiet but enigmatic vocalist and his troubles throughout his short career in music leading up to 1980, while Corbijn's direction lends a very authentic feel to the action onscreen, not least the choice to shoot in black and white. While not the best music biopic of the 21st century thus far (that accolade probably goes to Walk the Line), Control certainly rates among the better ones.

Rating : 8/10