Control Review

Joy Division are a good band. I don't know anybody who hasn't heard Love Will Tear Us Apart at least once. Whilst the back-up members are undoubtedly talented (as can be seen in New Order's albums) the main appeal of Joy Division, at least in my case, has always been the morose lyricist Ian Curtis. Ergo, Control, a biopic about said lyricist is quite an appealing prospect to me.

Most biopics have an awful habit of adding meaning to the material that they are portraying. Whilst the outcome of this is varies, with occasionally outstanding results (see The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford), most films that do this tend to suffer. In fact the majority of the biopic genre suffers from “Hollywood syndrome”, a strange affliction which favours action over accuracy.

This being said, Control is the best biopic I have ever seen in my entire life. Based on the biography of Curtis written by his ex-wife, the film is a heart-rending, entrancing and, above all else, accurate representation of Curtis' life. The script is airtight and never tries too hard. It never glamorises Curtis, instead a conscious decision has been made to show exactly how horrible he was to his wife whilst still showing that he has been massively misunderstood.

The casting is perfect. Sam Riley as Curtis is quite possibly some of the best casting I have ever seen. His performance is outstanding, capturing not only the mannerisms of his subject-matter, but also the atmosphere given off by his persona. The supporting cast are also fantastic, each manages to give a realistic and believable performance.

On the music side of things: the soundtrack is amazing. Other than simply featuring Joy Division songs, several other artists have been used to capture the atmosphere of the time, encapsulate the mood of any given scene and support the character development. Not only have appropriate songs been chosen, good songs have been chosen! Control's soundtrack is a rare gem.

In a daring move Control has been shot entirely in black and white, perhaps to mirror the mindset portrayed as Curtis'. This technique nevertheless supports the atmosphere intended for the film and creates a very closed environment when combined with the exquisite cinematography.

Overall, Control is a masterpiece. Not only does it tell the story of one of the most interesting musicians in recent history, it tells it right. The soundtrack alone is enough to make this film worth watching.

10/10