Control (The Miriam Collection)

Control (drama, biography, music)Directed by Anton CorbijnStarring Sam Riley, Samantha Morton and Alexandra Maria LaraAlliance | 2007 | 122 min | Rated R | Released Mar 08, 2011Video:Video codec: MPEG-4 AVCVideo resolution: 1080pAspect ratio: 2.35:1Audio:English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1English: Dolby Digital 5.1French: Dolby Digital 5.1Subtitles:NoneDiscs:50GB Blu-ray DiscDVD copyControl won 25 awards, including three at Cannes, and was nominated for two BAFTA awards in the UK. The film is yet to receive a Blu-ray release in the US, but has been released in Germany and Canada. This review covers the Canadian version, which is locked to Region A.The film made just under $8 million worldwide owing to the dark subject matter and the fact that Joy Division's music still isn't widely known. That's a shame because Corbijn (The American) has made a wonderful film.This is the story of Ian Curtis who was the lead singer for Joy Division until his suicide in 1980. He died on May 18, so it was 31 years ago today at the time of writing.I wanted to see the film because Joy Division is still one of my Top 5 bands 30 years later. I know who made me the tape so that I could hear debut album Unknown Pleasures for the first time and I remember who I was with and where I was when the news leaked that Curtis was dead.It wasn't easy to find a theater which was showing the film when it was released so I ended up hunting down an obscure run-down cinema in downtown Toronto to even see it. About six other people showed up. Every single one appeared deeply moved and on the verge of tears after the film. I'm happy to finally own it on Blu-ray.The main problem I have with this review is that I went in loving the band and knowing most of the story. Did it work for me because of that, or is it truly a great story that will appeal to people who know nothing about Curtis or Joy Division? It partly depends on whether you like the dark, brooding music, but it works for some people who don't like the band at all.The film is bleak. It appears in black and white and is set in a northern town in England (Macclesfield). The houses are small, the streets are narrow and it rains often. This is all true. It's a depressing part of the country. The dreary setting matches the atmosphere of the music and the band's tale. The film shows how the band came into existence and their early successes such as recording, getting a recording contract and appearing on TV, but this isn't a true biopic.Although I knew the lyrics and understood what the words meant before I saw the film, I didn't know the origin of those lyrics. The film ties together some of the events in the life of Curtis with the origin of the songs. When you see what She's Lost Control is really about, it adds new layers of meaning. If you think Love Will Tear Us Apart sounds like a pop song, it takes on a more sinister tone when you understand why he wrote it.The actors rehearsed together to get the songs right so that they could play them in the film rather than miming. Corbijn never intended to include real performances of the music, but the "band" convinced him. The first time I heard the first note of the first song played in the film, I felt a huge surge of emotion.Sam Riley manages to look very similar to Curtis and must have spent a long time studying the few examples of Curtis performing the songs. He mimics the actions perfectly and sounds like him too. It was almost like stepping back in time and experiencing a Joy Division concert. Samantha Morton gives a strong performance, managing to look like a young girl and then his wife and the mother of his child.There's a lot of truth in this film too. Deborah Curtis (his wife) wrote the book Touching From A Distance which tells what really happened. The screenplay was adapted from that book and the details are as true as possible. Corbijn shot some of the iconic photographs of Curtis and the band while working as a photographer for the New Musical Express in England. This was a labor of love.The result is a moving drama detailing the final few years of Curtis' life. It doesn't hold much back, showing his faults as well as his redeeming qualities. It's the story of a young man (23 when he died) who was in a situation he couldn't control. Loving and hating two different women, a parent at a young age, success at a level that was hard to imagine and all the while dealing with epilepsy. His character says in the film that the audience didn't realize how much he gave during a performance, or how draining it was and how painful to access the emotions to perform those songs. To the audience, they were songs. To Curtis, they were hideous parts of his life.I found the film incredibly moving, haunting, captivating, happy and sad. I'm glad that Curtis will be introduced to new audiences through this film. Joy Division is important to me and Control is one of the most prized Blu-rays in my collection.Video Quality 4.5/5The film was shot in color and transferred to black and white and the images suit the mood of the film perfectly. Detail is sharp throughout and the print is clean and natural in appearance. I have also seen the German release and the presentation is similar. It's hard to imagine the film looking any better.Audio Quality 5/5The sound is the best I have ever heard where music is concerned. It's as good as listening to a CD on high quality equipment. The songs have a lot of depth and range and it's easy to pick out individual instruments. The dialogue is also clear.Special Features 4/5Audio commentary with director Anton Corbijn.Making of Control, featuring interviews with Corbijn, the writer and some of the actors (24 minutes).Extended live performances from the film:TransmissionLeaders of MenCandidateMusic Videos:Atmosphere - Joy DivisionTransmission - Joy DivisionShadowplay - The KillersTwo theatrical trailers.Joy Division's music isn't for everyone, but this is an interesting look at the life of Ian Curtis whether you are a fan or not. The presentation from Alliance is superb and I would recommend it to anyone capable of viewing Region A material. The actors do a wonderful job and the music sounds authentic. It will send shivers down your spine.Overall score 5/5

This is a must see film for any admirer of the seminal band Joy Division. The influence of Ian Curtis has been undeniable throughout the years since Ian left us, and it's a given that Joy Division will continue to garner fans for as many years as people are capable of being moved by sincere, meaningful, and personal music.The aspect of the film that I didn't fully appreciate until the second viewing is the sympathy that the script and the director elicit in the viewer for the character of Deborah Curtis, Ian's wife. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, considering that the book from which the film gathers much of its material is a biography that Deborah wrote. I trust that living with a man so introspective, so talented, so conflicted, and so unwell would have been difficult for the best woman. The woman depicted in the film is not the best woman, but she's a woman who cares about and seems to love Ian, who wants Ian to care for himself responsibly and to not suffer, and who isn't able to understand why he's interested in another woman -- a woman who is portrayed as desiring a man whom she can idolize without having to notice his warts. Deborah does considerably more in the film than ask Ian what are his favorite color and favorite movie. The performance by Samantha Morton is compelling. The final shot of her pleading for someone to help her and Ian's daughter while the other characters console themselves, perhaps disregarding her because she had needed to stay home and therefore hadn't been able to attend as many Joy Division concerts, suggests that she may have often been taken for granted despite the fact that she likely knew Ian more intimately than they did.Sam Riley's performance as Ian is astonishing. In some shots, he looks like Ian's spitting image. His imitation of Ian's mannerisms and vocals, his onstage "dancing," and his enactment of the epileptic seizures are captivating. It's evident that Mr. Riley performed a lot of research. The problem that I have with the script is that it seems at times to suggest that it's aware of what Ian was thinking during moments that he spent alone; I have to believe that only Ian knew what he was thinking during those moments. For 39 years I've listened to Ian's lyrics, and for me his words have accumulated greater depth the older that I've gotten. How can any film suggest what may have been going through the mind of a poet who thought so profoundly? I'm grateful that the script didn't attempt to romanticize Ian but rather presented him as a complex person, poet, and entertainer.This film succeeds in capturing a time when anything could have happened in music. That four young men formed a band that summarized so eloquently and rivetingly what few of us would have dared express served to enrich the lives of those who were fortunate to live then. This film is a tribute both to that era and to the reality that artists sometimes grow up in unexpected places -- not all artists come from big cities. If you opt to purchase this film, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I am a huge Joy Division fan and have read Deborah Curtis's book several times. I was sceptical when this film was released but was pleasantly surprised by the filmmaking and the acting; Sam Riley is brilliant as Ian Curtis. I am also impressed that Sam and the actors performed the music themselves and have done such a fine job. Of course there are some omissions (from the book) but overall it is a well made film which chronicles the life of Ian Curtis and his personal complexities, as well as providing an insight into Joy Division. It is nice to finally own a copy of this DVD and is a film I never tire of watching when the mood takes.

Before watching this film, it struck me how many ways they could get this film wrong - pandering to his wife (who co-wrote the script), unconvincing acting and, perhaps the greatest potential error: pretentious directing.The good news is that the film avoided all of these pitfalls and was actually way better than I expected (for such an acclaimed film). Although not a ray of sunshine, the acting was convincing and the plot wasn't too focused around the bleak side of Ian Curtis. In my opinion, it seemed in keeping with Stephen Morris' description of Curtis being "an ordinary bloke just like you or me, liked a bit of a laugh, a bit of a joke."And as for the story being biased in favour of his wife, the story seemed fair when it came to Annik Honore (Curtis' alleged mistress), portraying her as more of a friend, rather than any sort of bad influence.Of course, if you don't like bleak films or biopics about troubled rock singers, then this isn't for you.However, if you want to see a fairly balanced and well-researched treatment of the story of Ian Curtis, which shows him as a 3 dimensional, fairly normal guy, then this is about the best you'll get.It's also worth mentioning that I'm not really a fan of Joy Division and have only really ever heard 1 or 2 of their songs. If you're concerned that this film is an inpenetrable geeky fan portrayal then don't worry - it's not.

As a huge fan of Joy Division, I was really hoping I would enjoy this film .I found it to be a wonderful portrayal of a tragic story.Not only was Ian Curtis an amazing lyricist and unique vocalist - this film showed us that he was a complex, yet sensitive soul who struggled to cope with his emotions via an ironic twist of fate ( regarding his epilepsy ).The film worked beautifully in monochrome.The whole Joy Division episode seemed to be daubed in a dark, grey mist and the choice of black & white cinematography evoked the perfect atmosphere ( no pun intended ).The acting was superb throughout.Anyone who adored the band, will thoroughly enjoy this film ( at times I forgot that it wasn't actually Ian Curtis on screen - such was Sam Riley's brilliant portrayal )Fabulous .... buy it .... you will not be disappointed.

Yes, even if you'd never been aware of Joy Division, and there are some people like me who hadn't, this movie is extraordinarily moving. The players are terrific. Whether or not they actually resemble the characters they represent is relatively unimportant in relation to the human drama which unfolds. The film as a whole leaves an emotional impact upon you which resonates long afterwards.Martin Ruhe's cinematography, in needle-sharp black and white, complements and underpins the drama beautifully and evokes a time and a place that play a central role in Ian Curtis' story. Likewise the production design and even the carefully chosen cars and vans which heave into view at moments throughout offer a totally convincing picture of the times.Highly recommended as a powerful human drama which transcends its era.

Good film, highly recommend if you like Joy Division, mine arrived 4 days earlier than expected which is good, but the disk was unseated so i had to open it and re-seat it back in the circle, which is a shame because it was a Christmas present and i wanted to keep the plastic on.