Prince Charles, Leicester Square
Based on Deborah Curtis’ book, Touching From a Distance, Control tells the story of Ian Curtis between 1973 and 1980.
In one sense, it’s a classic rock star rise and fall, but what gives it an edge is stunning visuals, and lead performances. The film is directed by Anton Corbijn, best know for his photography and music videos such as Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box. Here, he re-creates Curtis’ bleak Macclesfield backdrop in stark black and white which adds to the general sense of desperation that gets played out.
In the book, Ian Curtis comes across as somebody who is losing control, but it is hard to be sympathetic: He cheats on and subsequently ignores his wife, and looks to create a mythology for himself at every opportunity. The second half of the film captures this very well, and reveals a rather pathetic man struggling to keep things together.
Sam Reilly is a revelation as Ian Curtis, particularly in the Joy Division live scenes where he is utterly realistic. It is worth noting that the actors learned to play the songs themselves, which adds greatly to the realism. But the real star for me was Samantha Morton who plays Ian’s wife Deborah. She plays perfectly the loving wife who slowly gets pushed away from her husband through no fault of her own.
Overall, a very enjoyable film that leaves a strong impression.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Control (2007) – Movie Info – Yahoo! Movies
Glen Scott
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