Control
Australia, Japan, UK, 2007, 121 min Because my request for my very own personal time machine hasn’t exactly arrived in the mail, I will have to rely upon the facets of my whimsical time-travelling imagination to take me to a different decade. I have always dreamt of growing up in the ‘70s; in black and white, watching Control was probably the closest I’ll ever get to living that dream. The film chroniclingJoy Division’s spastic lead singer Ian Curtis includes aspects that suitably indicate the mixed variables of everyday life that inspired the hit single “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Fame, pressure, isolation, expectations, and love will drive anyone into conflict and insanity. Sam Riley, along with his droopy eyelids and taunting voice, transformed into an eerily believable performance of Curtis, known for his convulsive stage movements and dark, gloomy love songs. Even though Joy Division only managed to deliver two studio albums, it was one of the most influential bands to emerge from the otherwise grey and grim Macclesfield, England. Director Anton Corbijn effectively captures the life of Curtis with a cohesive cast and a gripping soundtrack of the times. The story of Curtis’ tormented life leading up to his suicide in 1980, at the young age of 23, is indicative of the command of musicians, and the tales they leave behind for generations to come. |
