Control (2007)

I only need to say a few words for this film. Beautiful photography, I love the fact that it is shot in black & white. The main characters are very good for their parts- even if Ian's eyes were a strange blue color and actor that plays him have dark colored eyes-, great depiction of England in that time. If the movie is following the exact true events of Ian Curtis's life I understand that he was in love with the reporter Annik but he felt a great responsibility and need to stay with his wife and daughter. Due to this, he may feel that he has failed as a man, husband and father (Natalie hates me, he thinks of her daughter even if she is only one year old) and that he hurts people and he is not happy anymore. Moreover, he faces epilepsy and takes strong medication for that, important factor for his up and downs in his mood, or his rise of depression. He also is afraid that his illness might kill him someday. He is suddenly getting famous all over the continent and he can not manage it very easy. Fans of the band and avid listeners of his songs are violent and demanding (we can see it in the scene where he is not ready to go out and there is another man singing in his place). So, I am following the story of a sensitive man, low-profile, but there is not a sign of depression before all this things happened. So, the cause of hanging himself, after his wife refused to stay with him even if he loves someone else, is still a mystery to me. There are many factors that contributed to his act. But, I guess, we will never find out or solve his one of a kind soul.

for me,the main point of making a movie about Ian Curtis,would be to portray his troubled mind and to show us the viewer his troubled soul.very much like the book.watching this movie though,we never go deep into his mind.so by the Well known climax,are left empty with no justifications for his actions.When we all know that in his mind he was a troubled soul.Its frustrating because the film should of told us the depth of his soul and i feel it failed miserably.it felt very much not about Ian Curtis.just a story of a pop singer and all the usual clichés.Also because of the lack of depth in to Ian's problems,i found myself feeling Sorry for his wife,which in a way Really was not the point with this film.the obvious point was to highlight Ian and his mind and mental illness.so Really was a chance missed to portray this man.

Great movie, dealing with a complex subject. I am a Joy Division fan, and have read the book on which the movie is based ("Touching from a Distance" by Deborah Curtis, Ian Curtis' widow), so was very glad to see that the movie does his life justice, warts and all.Great direction by Anton Corbijn - filming in black and white was a masterstroke, setting the right mood for the movie. Great acting too, especially by Sam Riley as Ian Curtis. Only negative thing I have to say about it is that the pacing was bit slow, esp in the latter half to quarter of the movie.Another great movie to watch re Joy Division is "24 Hour Party People". This covers the Manchester music scene of the late 70s to early 90s, as seen through the eyes of Tony Wilson, the founder of Factory Records, Joy Division's record company. Bands covered include Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays, amongst others. Rate that movie even higher than Control, from a music history point of view.

Shot entirely in black and white I found this film very atmospheric and it also had a gritty realism about it. I thought all the performances were excellent with both Sam Riley and Samantha Morton taking top honours. I also have to give a mention to Toby Kebbell who totally stole a couple of scenes with some great over-the-top one-liners. The story is primarily told from Debbie's point of view and as such we get a very interesting look at the life of this enigmatic soul. This film inspired me to go out and buy a Joy Division greatest hits CD and it's music that's always been close to my heart. I should mention that all the live performances portrayed in the film were performed by the actors and so hat's off to them for making it real. Whether you were a fan of the band or not I'm sure you'll get something out of this one. Be warned though, it's quite a tough watch, even when you do know the outcome.SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDEDMy score: 8.4/10You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.