Well share a drink and step outside, An angry voice and one who cried, well give you everything and more, The strains too much, cant take much more. Oh, Ive walked on water, run through fire, Cant seem to feel it anymore. It was me, waiting for me, Hoping for something more, Me, seeing me this time, hoping for something else.
The cinematography is gorgeous and the shot compositions are stunning. I was very much surprised at how low-key the film felt; it was a fairly quiet/still film apart from the Joy Division performances (which were done really effectively) and I thought that really worked for the film rather than going the opposite way. The film's also pretty subtle; on the surface it seems like a straightforward and simple telling of Ian Curtis's life sticking close to the facts (which is true) but it really does delve into and examine how Curtis got to his breaking point, just in a more poetic and less obvious way. The feeling of understating everything that I get in the movie really pays off well so that when you reach the end, you don't feel like you were just watching a movie, you don't feel like the character is a character...you really get the intense reality of these people, their existence, their dreams, hopes, and fears.
I especially loved one sequence of hypnosis...done in the most simple manner with the camera revolving around Curtis slowly...but damn, I gotta say, it's one of the most effective portrayals of that dreamlike state that I've seen. And then there are moments like when the light shifts from one side of Curtis's face to the other as we move in for a close-up in the performance scenes that are just stunningly beautiful in their simplicity. I honestly don't know how long it's been since I've seen a movie make such simple, small elements seem as stunningly complex as this does.
And the performances - again, incredible across the board. Sam Riley burrows into Ian Curtis's skin and gets it all right. Not just the mannerisms but the incredible portrayal of a man wrestling with things he feels are out of his control. Samantha Morton is every bit his equal and convincingly devastating as his neglected wife and the rest of the cast puts in excellent performances.
Even if you're not a fan of Joy Division, I would still recommend checking this out.
Every shot looked like it could have been a still photograph in some arty coffee table book. The actors performances, especially Sam Riley as Ian and Samantha Morton as his beloved wife Deborah are so on the mark and intense that this movie has instantly become one of my favourites.
For me, this movie was a work of complete fiction. Biopics can never be the honest truth unless they are actual reality shows and even then, you can never inhabit a person's particular skin so can never know the real story.
You really feel for Riley's 'Ian' - you can see his side of the story and that he wasn't just this living dead person walking around - he had feelings and had a 'real' job helping people - and that Annik Honore, the 'mistress' is not a total manipulating bitch - Alexandra Maria Lara is so gorgeous and cool but at the same time reminds me of another actress from a movie Dot The I that I really hated... - and at the same time feel so strongly for Samantha Morton's character Deborah who just sincerely loves her husband and their child Natalie.
I love the portrayal of the other band members and influential figures. Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Tony Wilson are all eerily similar to their real life counterparts.
"You can't be in my gang if you don't smoke" - Ian
What made this musical biopic work better than most Hollywood ones (Walk the Line, Ray, etc) was the lack of sentimentality. Sometimes it felt a tad slow and completely lacking in any drama at all, but that was more likely a result of me being tired and seeing the late show after a very long day. This is not meant to be Hollywood schmaltz, it's a very quietly-simmering character study with one hell of a performance by Sam Riley, as well as the entire supporting cast. And the photography is gorgeous! Corbijn definitely needs to do more film. How about a U2 biopic next?
Other possible names for this Ian Curtis biopic included "British People Smoking" and "Look, We're Still Smoking!" Alright, so they did have a cigarette in practically every scene of the movie, which makes sense, but is a nitpicky bit of overkill. Still, Control is one of the best biopics I have ever seen, not really of a band, but of a person. The filmmakers had a tragically short life to cover with their two hour film, but they filled the space with wondrous development. We can feel Curtis' fears, apprehensions, and insecurities as the movie develops with him. This of course can't be said without giving credit to Sam Riley, who is simply outstanding, and Samantha Morton, playing his wife, matches him precisely in her role as well. As the romance bounces back and forth towards the end, almost to the point of being tedious, the film still keeps it sense of humor. Control is funny throughout, but at the end it becomes haunting. It shows how not even the world around Curtis was ready to accept what he was about to do. It's been a long time since a movie made me feel the way this film does.
Hauntingly beautiful. It stayed with me for days afterward. I was very impressed with the fact that the actors learned to play the instruments themselves just for this movie. It gave it the extra edge which I am sure the director was hoping for...
I'll borrow the words from an article tha t i read and really touched my heart.."In glittering grey the downfall of post-punk singer Ian Curtis who was torn apart by love...".Great photography,great music and great acting from Sam Riley whose sharp look shows the despair,the dead end and the fragmented psychology his character has developed.Tragic,depressed,dark...Ian Curtis will always live through his songs.
What a film. Whether you're a Joy Division fan or not there's no arguing this is a superbly and very beautifully shot, directed and created film. Probably the best film I've seen this year. It's incredibly moving and Sam Riley's performance is so stellar I consider it one of the best performances ever. EVER. Outstanding, exceptional. I have nothing but praise for this delicate and insightful film. Perfection.
I rather liked this! I wasn't familiar with the bands work so that wasn't the reason i saw it. Was a little too long but thought it was well acted and the direction and cinematography were spot on.
This is a superbly acted and structured movie detailing the rise and eventual unravellig of Ian Curtis' life. His music, loves, and troubles all intertwine making a fascinating insight into the genius behind the band that was Joy Division. Ian Curtis was a tortured soul who lived for his music...watch this to experience the start of the whole Manchester music scene.
Someone take me to see this please! I want to see this...a tragic story (well, we all know the ending), but I hear its amazing. Any biopic of Ian curtis, would be prmising, but the fact its based on his wife's memoirs and they way it's shot so beautifully make me desperate to see it. Ive not heard a bad word about 'the joy division film'.
gorgeous and heart breaking adaptation of Debbie Curtis' book about the tragic life of her husband and Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Beautifully shot with subtlety. Great acting. Must see for JD fans and fans of music in general.
Biographie de feu Ian Curtis, ex-leader du défunt groupe Joy Division. Le film a été à la hauteur de mes attentes. Quelques petites longueurs çà et là et un manque de profondeur dans le dévloppement de la relation de Curtis et sa seconde copine, mais c'est vraiment les seuls critiques négatives que je peux émettre. La trame sonore est bien évidemment solide, tous les succès de Joy Division y passent, plus quelques bons vieux morceaux des années 70, de Bowie au Velvet Underground. Les chansons sont utilisées judicieusement, pour illustrer une période ou amplifier l'ambiance d'une scène. Les acteurs principaux font tous un très bon travail, mention spéciale évidente à Sam Riley qui interprète Curtis avec brio. Mais en plus de nous livrer un film biographique de grande qualité, Corbijn fait montre d'un flair photographique épatant, ainsi que d'une réalisation passionnée mais juste. Un excellent film, fond et forme confondus.
Wow....amazing movie a real drama that put some tears in my eyes at the end. Well but im sensitive and im a Girl eh, eh..... Anyway i thing this Sam Riley just did he's best and definitely he was the best! I was watching the real Ian Curtis from Joy Division.Could not be other person for sure. Samantha Morton was very good also, but im suspicious cause i really like her work. A brilliiante movie DON'T MISS IT.
Anton Corbijn's first feature length is as beautiful as his photgraphy portfolio, and the subject (Ian Curtis) a worthy enough one. Sam Riley gives a decent shot at portraying the legendry singer (though looks painfully closer to Pete Doherty than to Curtis) and the supporting cast all deliver nicely. Unfortunately, for all it's charm, you don't really get much more, storywise, than you get from the more entertaining 24 Hour Party People. Contact does however give a great amount of focus to Curtis's doomed marriage (not surprising given that the script is based on his widow's biography of him) giving it a slight edge on Winterbottom's film. All in, a good film- definitely worth checking out...
MCT:November 14, 2007
MCT:November 12, 2007
MCT:November 12, 2007
MCT:November 6, 2007
MCT:October 22, 2007
MCT:October 17, 2007
