Control (2007)
I saw Control (2007, directed by Anton Corbijn, written by Deborah Curtis and Matt Greenhalgh) as part of TIFF back in 2007. The director was in attendance for this Saturday 9am screening and when introducing the film, talked about his experience in photographing Ian Curtis and Joy Division back in the late 70′s. He mentioned that the first time he saw Sam Riley, it was exactly the same as when he first saw Ian Curtis: standing outside in the cold, shivering in a black trenchcoat and smoking a cigarette.
Watching this film was like watching a dream. I love Corbijn’s framing and thought the black and white beautiful. The performances were excellent and even though it was a pretty dark film (for obvious reasons), a love of music and of this group in particular is evident.
I don’t know how to describe how I feel about this film. I knew what was going to happen but still felt the emotional reaction that I’m sure was intended. I think the film is aesthetically beautiful. I love just looking at it, hearing the music with the images… and Sam Riley is virtually flawless, so that combined with Corbijn’s talent doesn’t hurt either.
I’ve been a fan of Joy Division for a long time and it was important for me to view this film as a dramatic telling of a story as opposed to a bio-pic consisting only of hard facts. I think the film’s style and pacing were consistent with the feel of Joy Division’s music. This film is way up there on the list for me.
