CONTROL

Starring:
Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria Lara, Joe Anderson, Toby Kebbell, James Anthony Pearson, Harry Treadaway, Andrew Sheridan and Craig Parkinson

Director:
Anton Corbijn

Running Time:
121 mins

"Love will tear us apart, again"

Even at school, Ian Curtis (Riley) was writing lyrics, stories and poetry but really didn't have an outlet for his work. This all changed when he met Peter Hook (Anderson) and Bernard Sumner (Pearson) who were looking for a lead singer and a new direction for their band. Becoming a big in Manchester and getting noticed by Island records executive Tony Wilson (Parkinson), Joy Division quickly became the band of 1978. As they became more successful, Ian became more and more agitated, distancing himself from his wife Debbie (Morton) but after been diagnosed with epilepsy, Ian outlook and life becomes all the more darker.

He is one of British music's most tragic figures but can the story of Ian Curtis dramatise his passion and problems?

Based partly on the autobiography "Touching from a Distance" by Ian's widow Debbie Curtis, 'Control' tells the tragic life story of one of Manchester's and Britain's most promising musicians. Mixing tragedy with drama and an injection of humour, this is not your typical biopic. After the success of 'Walk the Line' and 'Ray', stories of music's most celebrated stars have become box office gold again and have gained critical and award success but can a biopic from the UK compete with the Hollywood big boys, the answer is a definite yes.

Fans of the Manchester music scene that grew from the late 70s onwards will know everything they need to know about the music of 'Joy Division' but the story of their influential lead singer Ian Curtis is one that needs to be told. Music video director Anton Corbijn and creative team take us back to 1970s Macclesfield to dramatise the short musical life of Curtis. Concentrating on his life with Debbie, his time in Joy Division and his affair with Dutch journalist Annik Honoré and filmed in black and white, this is film that doesn't make excuses for this death or give dramatical reasons for what he does but shows the demons he struggled with right until the end.

The success of any biopic depends strongly on the strength of the leading performer and relative newcomer Sam Riley gives a performance that is truly exceptional. As Ian Curtis he simply encapsulates the essence of the man, coming alive not only while performing Joy Division's songs on stage but in the scenes that dramatise his life and his struggles with his illness and demons. This is a landmark performance from the young actor and one that will get him noticed by Hollywood. Samantha Morton continues to show that she is one of the finest British actresses working today. As Curtis's neglected wife Debbie, the actress creates a sympathetic character that truly loves Ian but makes you question how he put up with his infidelity and his lack of affection. The supporting cast is also extremely good with Alexandra Maria Lara, Joe Anderson, Toby Kebbell, James Anthony Pearson and Craig Parkinson standing out as the members of Joy Division, Curtis's mistress and the late, great Tony Wilson.

'Control' is an exceptional piece of autobiographical filmmaking. With Sam Riley's astonishing performance and the outstanding supporting cast, director Anton Corbijn and his creative team have told a story filled with inspiration, drama, fun and tragedy and one that shows that fulfilling your dreams doesn't always make you a happy person.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good and with the film been in black and white, the movie looks fantastic.

BONUS FEATURES

Feature Commentary by director Anton Corbijn
The man at the helm provides a very informative and passionate commentary about a film that he clearly adored making. Covering all aspects of the film's production, the commentary allows the director to talk about his passion for the subject matter and how 'Joy Division' affected his life and drove his career as a photographer, music video director and filmmaker.

Making of Control (23.18 mins)
Director Anton Corbijn, MD of Warner Bros Records Korda Marshall, writer Matt Greenhalgh and stars Sam Riley, James Pearson, Harry Treadaway and Joe Anderson come together to talk about 'Control'. Each of them talks about their connection with the subject matter, recreating the 70s setting and why it was filmed in black and white. The actors talk about learning the songs and the instruments and actually playing the Joy Division songs. This is a good behind the scenes featurette that fans of the film will enjoy.

Extended Performance Scenes
Watch the full performances from Sam Riley, James Pearson, Harry Treadaway and Joe Anderson of the Joy Division songs 'Transmission', 'Leaders of Men' and 'Candidate'.

Joy Division's Atmosphere '88 Video (Directed by Anton Corbijn) (4.34 mins)
Watch the music video that the director made to honour Ian Curtis and the band that drew him to England.

Photo Gallery
View production stills from

'Control' Trailer (1.46 mins)
Watch a preview of the movie that showcased the film in cinemas and on the Internet.

Trailers
Previews of 'P.S. I Love You' and 'Love in a time of Cholera'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'Control' is one that fans will enjoy. The commentary track is extremely good and the behind the scenes featurette is equally as good. With the added bonus of the complete performances of the songs and a Joy Division music video, fans should be very pleased.

DVD

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