Film Reviews

Control

• Rating:
• Director: Anton Corbijn
• Starring: Alexandra Maria Lara
• Details: UK / US / 121mins (15A).

"Existence, what does it matter? I exist on the best terms I can." Ian Curtis tried, but those terms weren't enough in the end, and he committed suicide on 18th May, 1980 - the eve of Joy Division's first US tour. The twenty-three year old left behind him a legacy of songs that have the knack of making the room colder when playing, as well as one of music's greatest stories. Adapted from wife Deborah's (played here by Morton) book Touching From A Distance, Curtis's marriage, the rise of the band and his love affair with journalist Annik Honore (Lara) take centre stage. Curtis's depression is touched on, but remains on the backburner until one-time photographer Corbijn, who took many of the iconic pictures of the band, deems the story ready. Shooting the film in black amd white (how else could you shoot a biopic of Ian Curtis?), Corbijn steers a steady ship through the snail's-pace plotting, but unleashes fury during the gig scenes where the film explodes into life; the unknown Riley has Curtis down, imitating his hyper-kinetic dance moves and barbiturate eyelids perfectly. It's not all gloom, as Joy Division manager Rob Gretton (Kebbell) weighs in with a few funny one-liners and Joe Anderson and James Anthony Pearson (playing Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner respectively) have their moments too. I wonder what it was like being a Joy Division fan before Curtis died, before every song sounded like a suicide note.

Review by Gavin Burke