Control

DETAILS:
Released - 5 October 2007
Certificate - 15
Running Time - 116mins
Director - Anton Corbijn
Screenwriter - Matt Greenhalgh adaptation of Deborah Curtis' autobiography "Touching from a Distance"
Producers - Anton Corbijn, Todd Eckert, Orian Williams
Cinematography - Martin Ruhe
Editing - Andrew Hulme
Music - Peter Clarke and Ian Neil

Theatrical distributor - Momentum Pictures
Country - UK
Awards - 2 BAFTA nominations for best British film and best supporting actress Samantha Morton as well as various British independent film, Empire, Edinburgh International Film Festival, London Critic Circle and Cannes awards


SYNOPSIS:
Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) is a Macclesfield born teenager working as a benefits officer in the late 1970’s. Just after marrying his childhood sweetheart Deborah (Samantha Morton), her biography on which the film is based, he joins up with Manchester band Joy Division as their front-man. Under their new manager Rob Gretton (Toby Kebbell) their innovative sound and stage presence starts receiving critical acclaim. But as their fan-base increases and Curtis is diagnosed with epilepsy, he soon becomes over-exhausted with the pressures of keeping the band together and dealing with his condition. Also falling in love with Belgian journalist Annik (Alexandra Maria Lara) he is divided in the love for his family and of his love for her. Struggling with his life and an America tour looming, the prospect of fame all proves a little too much for him to deal with.

REVIEW:
Any musician who dies during the height of their fame is automatically made an icon. Forever preserved as young they are always looked back on with a certain nostalgia and symbolism of their times, e.g. Hendrix, Cobain. But what separates Curtis from the rest is that he never quite achieved fame per say. Dying at the very early age of 23 he never made much money or experienced a life of sex, drugs or rock and roll. Curtis was not able to see the extent of the band’s success in his lifetime and in turn was never wrapped up in his own cult status. This is very well reflected in the film. This is not a Hollywoodised story of chasing fame but a deeply moving tale of Curtis’ inner struggle. In no way is Joy Division idolized, this is simply a tale of working class Manchester boys trying to break free from their lifestyle in a way that truly expressed themselves.

A significant contribution to the realism is Riley’s well rounded performance of an artistic stage performer with a troubled soul. He nails Curits’ enigmatic stage presence along with the intensity of his infamous ‘dance’. Riley’s subtle hints of inner feeling speak volumes in portraying a very complex, quiet character with a concealed vulnerability. When shouting at his on-screen wife towards the end of the film, Riley’s sudden and unexpected bursts of heartfelt emotion is enough to make the hairs stand on the back of your neck.

The rest of the cast are also commendable for their efforts in recreating Joy Division. Not only do they look and sound the part but they actually performed and rerecorded Division’s songs to pin point accuracy for the films soundtrack. Out of the supporting cast Toby Kebbel is the star of the majority of scenes. Stealing the limelight away from his co-stars his comic timing is perfect with his hilarious portrayal of a motor mouth, wide boy manager. This provides some comic relief which balances out the humour and prevents the film from becoming a complete sob story. Samantha Morton’s talents are also apparent as she provides a lot more passion to the simple role of the loving wife.

The most striking thing about Control is Corbijn’s decision to shoot the entire film in black and white. Effectively this embodies the unique and strangely sombre sound of Curtis’ low singing voice combined with Peter Hook’s high bass riffs. The stark colouring also reflects Curits’ disconnection from society and his inability to interact with those around him, which provides an atmospheric edge to the proceedings. Along with the real suburb locations Control is very reminiscent of the British new wave film movement. Corbijn has used the plot devices of the old kitchen sink drama to bring more empathy to Curits’ character. This is certainly a valuable homage to the often underrated legacy of British Film.

Another prominent aspect to Control is the sound levels. The dialogue itself is rather quiet but the rerecorded soundtrack is a lot louder in comparison. This symbolises how everything came together for Curtis under his music. In one scene where he has an argument with his wife and the loud bass line of ‘Love Will Tear us Apart’ kicks in it gives the song further meaning.

One of the main criticisms of Control is that we do not learn anything new about what Curtis was feeling at the time. This is not a detailed study into his psyche but ultimately a retelling of his life events. In one of many iconic scenes Curits is reduced to floods of tears after a failed sexual encounter with Annik and we are not explained what he is thinking. But that is in fact the whole point, nobody did. Curtis was only able to express himself through his music.


TO SUM UP:
A well crafted, stunning and above all intimate biopic of one of the biggest icons of the twentieth century. A truly collaborative artwork, more than deserving of its BAFTA and Oscar nominations. Control is very faithful to Curits’ and Joy Division’s cult following and will hopefully inspire a new generation of fans.