Review of Control (2007) by Spangle — 05 Nov 2016

Director Anton Corbijn turns Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis' life into an artistic wonder in Control. A depressing and dark film, Corbijn's black and white film with killer cinematography breathes life into a film that would otherwise be a pretty typical musician biopic. Okay, it is still a typical musician biopic, but it does look really good. Telling the story of the rise and fall of Curtis, including his infidelity and epilepsy that led to his suicide in 1980, the film is a truly harrowing journey. The serves not just as a showcase for Corbijn, but also his actors led by Sam Riley as Curtis, Toby Kebbell as the band manager Rob Gretton, and Samantha Morton as Curtis' wife Deborah. Together, even when the film slows, the trio makes the film eminently watchable.

However, the star here remains the cinematography. In particular, there is a shot through a window of Curtis with the reflection of what he can see in the mirror. A truly striking shot, it is a microcosm of this beautiful film. The black and white adds a degree of character to the film that makes it feel appropriate for the era, with this smokiness to every shot. Who better to add late 1970s British rock scene touches to the film than Corbijn, who has become far more well known for his work in the world of music than in film.

In terms of acting, Control is a real showcase. Sam Riley plays Curtis brilliantly. Through each sequence, you can see the darkness closing in on him as he spirals further and further out of control. Though he tries to escape, there was never any hope for the man as the walls closed in all around. At home, he had broken his relationship with Deborah. On the road, he felt extreme guilt when he slept with Belgian journalist Annik Honore (Alexandra Maria Lara). With the band, his epilepsy wreaked havoc while Joy Division gained more and more notoriety that he could not cope with. Riley brings these elements to life in his portrayal of Curtis and it makes his transformation from a typically energetic teenager to a dark and depressed man in his early 20s all the more harrowing. As the band manager, Kebbell is energetic and truly charismatic. Whenever he is on the screen, his performance makes the character truly magnetic. As Curtis' wife, Samantha Morton plays a heartbroken and tormented Deborah. Her brilliance is subtle throughout the film, but truly realized in the final sequence when she finds Ian dead. Her emotion and power as we hear her find him is a terrific close to the film.

Yet, Control is not perfect. Far too slow and moody, Control feels emotionally distant from beginning to end. Though Curtis certainly was a distant person, this does not make for a great film. While there is more than enough to like about Control in spite of this distance, it does prevent it from becoming an even better film. As a result of this distance, the film also feels incredibly cold. When things happen, except for at the end, it lacks the emotional punch required to make the film a truly lasting experience. Instead, Control winds up being a good biopic of Curtis with great acting and cinematography, but no lasting power.

As a whole, Control is a good film that could have been better if it let us into its world a bit more. That said, it remains a terrific look at the harrowing descent experienced by Ian Curtis that culminated in his suicide at the age of 23. However, as musician biopics go, though Control is quite good, it never really rises above the crowd.