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"Ian was walking pain", went a line describing the late Joy Division's singer. "His whole short life was black & white", went another. So it should be appropriate that Control was filmed in stark black & white, all the while giving us a pain-and-depression filled atmosphere and a superb performance by up-and-comer Sam Riley that was haunting and sublime. Taking the title from Joy Division's most iconic song, She's Lost Control, this film chronicles the very short life of Ian Curtis, - He suicided at the age of 23 - his drug addiction, his short-lived marriage, the forming of the band, the success, the inspiration, and finally, the death - All done in a hypnotizing fashion that, by the time the film ends, will have you become a fan of the band, or will make the already fans go back to their original albums, namely Unknown Pleasures. I found myself whisking straight to that album when it ended. Felt like listening to a voice of an old friend through a long-forgotten recorded tape / video.
The film opens memorably; It shows Ian just a few short seconds before his death, lamenting about his life. Then it flashbacks to 1973, starting the story proper and, in a way, a documentary of punk rock. We get a shot of his bedroom and are reminded of the fact that even iconic rock-stars (lame term but whatever) started out as nothing more than most of us are now; Posters of Bowie and Reed on the wall, a small plaque of sorts honoring Morrison and various other tidbits. This in a way was satisfying to watch. This created a Frodo scenario of sorts. A normal person starting his extraordinary adventure and becoming the well-known figure as we know him today. Sam Riley, from the word GO, had his role in complete check. It was a highly detailed performance with impressive attention to the subtlest of the movements. And I think he nailed the dead-fly dance. Every time he stood behind the mic, it was always a hypnotizing effect.
Story-wise and directing-wise the film is absolutely top-notch. Anton Cobijn has some seriously cool directing skills and he should direct more music-biographies, especially on 80's Rock bands, if can manage that.
Performance-wise, all of the main cast were amazing, with Sam Riley being the ultimate. Samantha Morton as Deborah Curtis, Ian's wife, was awesome in her role. Since she was the only "big name" among the relatively unknown cast, she bought a lot of professionalism and integrity in her role. I also enjoyed Tony Krebbel as Rob Gretton, their manager. It was a great performance and fun to watch. Craig Parkinson as Tony Wilson wasn't bad either. It's too bad he wasn't given more screen-time as he definitely had me impressed by his short screen-time performance. All of the cast were top-notch in their respective roles from start to finish.
In all, Control is a cool film and should not be missed. Fan or no fan, you must watch it!
9.0/10
