Control (2004)

Severely abused and traumatized as a child, psychopathic Ray Liotta (as Lee Ray Oliver) is executed as an adult, by lethal injection… no, wait… Mr. Liotta wakes up in the care of likewise rough-looking but kindly doctor Willem Dafoe (as Michael Copeland). The hardened criminal is invited to participate in a medical research project; by taking a behavior modifying drug, Liotta will suppress violent tendencies and hopefully bring out remorse. Liotta answers, "I like drugs," but is disappointed when Mr. Dafoe tells him the drug has no narcotic effect. He beats up everybody and tries to escape, but Liotta takes his pills...Liotta proves to be a tough nut to crack, and some feel he is "faking it," but he is eventually deemed ready for the next phase of the experiment. Liotta is given an ankle bracelet, a monitored apartment, and some money to get started. So, what's going on with this dude… the best thing is, you can't really be sure. While Liotta and director Tim Hunter keep it tense and unpredictable, we meet the outside forces. His biggest threat appears to be Tim DeKay (as William "Bill" Caputo), brother of brain-damaged Liotta victim Mark Pickard (as Gary Caputo). Mr. DeKay seems badly in need of Dafoe's behavior modification pills...Liotta's hair and make-up does become distracting, especially during the second half, because this type of character probably wouldn't wear such obvious eyeliner without some explanation. Maybe he was in an '80s hair band... The "life flashes before your eyes" moment and blood drop forming a "chip on your shoulder" are well done. Characterizations are strong...From the beginning, we are given layers of nicely developed and carefully revealed facts about the co-starring characters played by Liotta and Dafoe. After Liotta becomes "Joe Monroe", he meets love interest Michelle Rodriguez (as Teresa), who becomes a believable attraction due to her own "starting over" story. It's also interesting to compare their "crime and punishment" state of affairs with DeKay's vengeful low-life. The four are intertwined nicely by writers Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin with director Tim Hunter. Excellent job, but the final sequences include a too definitive shock for one of the characters.******* Control (12/7/04) Tim Hunter ~ Ray Liotta, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Rodriguez, Tim DeKay

"Control" had a good premise and idea. With Ray Liota playing a character sentenced to death but who is given a chance for freedom if he participates in an experiment to suppress his violent urges. What could have been an interesting character study about redemption ultimately became a sub-par often melodramatic movie that failed to deliver even the slightest bit of inside on the subject.Liota stars as Lee Ray Oliver a murderer sentenced to death but given a second chance if he participates in a chemical behavioral modification program run by Dr. Michael Copeland (played by William Defoe). The movie's first problem becomes quite apparent after a short while, Liota's character isn't portrayed as a truly evil person, yes he is shown killing people but only members of the mafia, in fact his only civilian victim doesn't even die. Which from the viewer's perspective partly ruins the motivation for the treatment Lee Ray is undertaking.The movie's plot feels confusing not because its hard to understand but because it doesn't know what direction to take. There are actually several sub-plots in it all of which after the final scene feel unfinished, and while some could have played a role in showing Liota's character new found compassion, rather ineffectively if I might add, there is the one dealing with Defoe's character that doesn't have any sort of impact on the central plot. The movie's direction does nothing to cloud the badly written plot, with a heavy dose of mediocrity it feels like you're watching a made for TV production.The only reason this is worth watching is the acting. With some decent to good performances by Liota, Defoe and Rodriguez (who plays Lee Ray's girlfriend in one of the sub-plots). Regrettably the supporting cast fails to keep on their level, making a lot of the supporting characters annoying or just simply badly acted.In the end "Control" fails to impress or use it's interesting ala "Clockwork Orange" premise. Giving us a final product whose melodramatic ending doesn't succeed in achieving any sort of emotional response from the viewer.

The premise of this movie is a decent one, if done before in other ways. There are reasons why some movies go straight-to-video; the utter predictability, laughably clichéd scenes and obvious subplots intended to lengthen the film are these reasons. Ray Liotta's intensity at the beginning should have been capitalized upon, but he loses it halfway through. The movie has all the earmarks of being rewritten as it was being shot.Some observations: What purpose does it serve to have TWO people gunning for the Ray Liotta character? The corrupt warden and "Russian mafia" hit-man contribute nothing to the storyline and could easily have been left out. The avenging brother would have been enough, and was not fleshed out. Liotta showing remorse, trying to befriend and help the man he shot and crippled, beginning to live a normal life, only to have the angry brother whose life was ruined bent on revenge.... now that could have been a good movie.Do we really need to know the Dafoe character's personal life? What does this contribute? The way he tells the story of his murdered son should be shown to acting students as an example of bad "mailing it in" acting. "He looked up at me and said, I'll be alright Dad... and then he died." This only exists to prop up the cheesy end scene, which should never have been included. A better ending would be to have Liotta die, and that's it! Gee, the undercover guys driving around in a large dark colored van. How original. And the pursuers all driving identical black sedans. Not original at all... and the "blood dripping on the shoulder" flashback scene was shown far too often. Gotta justify that CGI expenditure, I suppose.Why were the drugs taken as pills? Why not injections to make SURE? Why was the doctor allowed to go into Liotta's cell where he could be easily attacked? How is it that Defoe was beaten by Liotta the first time, but the second time Dafoe suddenly gets fighting skills and beats Liotta to a pulp? Ah, there is plenty more to pick at, but to save time, stay away from this one.

I have always been a fan of Ray Liota and Willem Dafoe, so I checked out this movie. It sounded like it had potential to be a good film, both plot and acting wise. It does have potential, but I felt some points in the movie dragged and weakened. Liota's character, although well acted, seemed to have too drastic a turn around in too short a time to really show the process and allow the viewer to relate. There is nothing terribly wrong with this film, other than it's ending which was entirely expected, felt rushed, clichéd, and under-developed. If you have nothing better to do on a Wednesday night, then I recommend this movie, but if you have something better to do with your two hours, don't waste your time.