CIFF: "Control"

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 6, 2007 1:26PM

This is part of Chicagoist's continuing coverage of the Chicago International Film Festival.

Rule #1: Dead Rock Stars do not make for happy stories, especially when the DRS in question is Ian Curtis, lead singer for Joy Division who committed suicide at the tender age of 23. The last half hour of Anton Corbijn's new biopic Control is especially hard to watch, knowing what's coming, but this movie does justice to both Curtis and the band. And you don't have to be a JD cultist to appreciate it.

Corbijn has been a celebrated photographer for decades but this is his first feature. His wisest choice was to shoot it in black & white; it untethers the story from the 70s, deemphasizing the fashions and aesthetics of the period so that you concentrate on the characters instead. The high-contrast widescreen cinematography demands to seen on a huge screen. The black & white also echoes the "angry young man" films of early 60s Britain, and that's indeed was Joy Division was: a group of young working-class lads striving to escape a gray, dull existence in Manchester. But just as the band was taking off, the pressures of performing and fatherhood, coupled with the torments of epilepsy proved more than Curtis could handle.

The casting is superb. Sam Riley is Ian Curtis; in addition to the uncanny resemblance between the two, he perfectly embodies Curtis' ferocious but fragile creativity. Corbijn doesn't so much mythologize Curtis as preserve his enigma: as a character he's frequently opaque but always believable. Samantha Morton as his wife Deborah is every bit his equal, tough, smart and tender (the movie is based on her book). The music is the most important character, and the interweaving of original recordings from the period and new remakes was virtually seamless. We definitely recommend seeing this movie.

Control screens on 10/8 and 10/16. Call 312-332-FILM for tickets; both shows are expected to sell out. (Image via Rolling Stone)