Control (The Miriam Collection)
Starring: Samantha Morton, Sam Riley (II), Alexandra Maria Lara, Joe Anderson (VI), Toby KebbellDirector: Anton Corbijn
Studio: The Weinstein Company
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Running Time: 122 minutes
DVD Release: June 3rd 2008
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DVD Review
Based on the memoir TOUCHING FROM A DISTANCE by Deborah Curtis Anton Corbijn s CONTROL is as near perfect a filmic telling of the story of Joy Division and Ian Curtis as any fan could hope for. It s also a beautifully rendered piece of cinema about the crippling effects of love and regret and the salvation we seek in art. Born out of England s post-Sex Pistols punk explosion Joy Division played a dark minimalist version of the nascent sound and became cult heroes thanks in part to their brilliant yet disturbed frontman Ian Curtis (played by an eerily perfect Sam Riley). Corbijn does a wonderful job recreating the Manchester band s music and live show cutting straight to the essence of Joy Division s unique appeal. Credit must also be given to the three actors who portray the rest of Joy Division. Playing all the instruments themselves they perfectly capture the band s powerfully stoic presence one that translates both live and on record into the sonic equivalent of an existential crisis.CONTROL however is ultimately about Curtis s tumultuous marriage with his wife Deborah (Samantha Morton) and the way that Joy Division became an aesthetic manifestation of his pain--one that was both physical (Curtis was an epileptic) and emotional. Corbijn evokes Curtis s hurt and isolation with both honesty and subtlety: a photographer originally he frames each shot to look like a stark black-and-white photo from an album the audience was never meant to see making Curtis s pain palpable and his eventual suicide that much more tragic. The overtones to the later suicide of Kurt Cobain are hard to avoid but where Cobain s suicide has always been discussed in terms of the pressure he felt as a rock star Curtis s as rendered by Corbijn is a pain anyone could potentially be forced to suffer through.System Requirements:Running Time: 122 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/DYING YOUNG UPC: 796019810258 Manufacturer No: 81025
User Reviews
Good movie - Rating: 4/5
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.
One of the best rock bio-pics ever! - Rating: 5/5
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!
A well balanced tribute - Rating: 4/5
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.
Breathtaking - Rating: 5/5
Breathtaking.
1st time Director, an unknown cast in the title role.
Excellent supporting cast - I still smile every time I see Tony Wilson being portrayed.
Beautiful black and white photography.
And a heartbreaking brilliant story.
What more do you want?
This is a "must have" for anyone who still remembers buying "Love will tear us apart" from the Arndale Manchester.
Dark clouds with silver linings - Rating: 5/5
Joy Division are a group that require little introduction to those familiar with the late-70's and 80's post-punk scene. One of the most influential rock bands of all-time, it grew out of 4 guys from Manchester in love with punk bands such as the Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols. But rather than having a similar sound to those punk bands, Joy Division's sound was something entirely new, ushering the post-punk sound, one that combined the raw edge of punk but with gothic and dramatic tendencies. This sound would prove influential to countless 80's bands and also more recent ones, most notably "Interpol" and "Editors". The Joy Division story is a tragic one, as singer Ian Curtis committed suicide at the age of 23. The remaining members then went on to form New Order, sell 20 million albums in the process and the rest is history. "Control" is a semi-autobiographical look at Curtis' rapid rise to fame and equally fast descent into despair.
The story traces Curtis' life from the age of 16 and beyond. A David Bowie worshipping, chain-smoking, distracted teenager, Curtis never quite fit in with the school crowd and used music and poetry as an outlet to his emotions. He married while still in high school and had a child shortly thereafter, all of this before being in the band. Then the story shows us how he met up with the other band members and their rapid rise to fame. Throughout all this, Curtis worked a day job as an unemployment office counselor and had to tend care to his wife and newly-born daughter. The struggle between being in the band and being on the road (which in itself was not quite enough to pay the bills) and his family responsibilities not to mention his epileptic condition proved to be too much for Curtis to bear and the movie concludes with him tragically putting an end to his life.
I found "Control" to be bar none of the best movie bio-pics ever. The director's decision to make the movie in black and white is an absolutely brilliant one, as it accurately catches the essence of he band, whose artwork was always in black and white and also gives the picture the gritty feel it merits. The best part of the movie of course is the breakout performance of Sam Riley as the title character, who nails Curtis to the point of eeriness. The downcast looks, the hairstyle, the jittery movements on stage, everything is bang-on. I read somewhere that the singer of New Order had to stop watching the film midway because Riley bore too much of a resemblance to Curtis that it was scary to him. I can see why. Another star in this movie is the music. Joy Division's music is great of course, but the way the director selectively uses songs that fit the mood of what's currently unfolding on screen is remarkable.
If I were to have one issue with this film I would have to say that the reason for some of Curtis's emotions are never really explained. Why exactly is he so depressed when he has so much to be proud of? Why did he stop loving his wife so suddenly when she never stopped loving him? Maybe Curtis proved to be so complex of a character that even he himself didn't really know who he truly was. It should be noted that this DVD offers generous extras such as a commentary track, a 20mns making-of documentary, a director interview, still gallery, promotional materials, extended live performances from the film. But the highlight would have to be the music videos, where we see the real Curtis performing on BBC and see just how much of a resemblance there is between him and the actor that portrays him. Overall, "Control" is brilliant, essential stuff for both fans and also non-fans who just want to sit through a great drama. Highly recommended!
