Control
By Kit Macdonald
Sam Riley stars as the tragic Ian Curtis in Anton Corbijn's brilliant 2007 biopic about the brief and turbulent life of the Joy Division frontman. Corbijn's decision to make the movie in stunning high-contrast monochrome has contributed greatly to its prominence in the public imagination, lending an iconic and very recognisable quality to stills from it and turning 1970s Macclesfield's grimness into sweeping visual grandeur.
Based on the memoir Touching From A Distance by Curtis's widow (played with intelligence and sympathy by the great Samantha Morton), the film offers an intimate look into the emotional and psychological struggles that shaped both Curtis's music and personal life. Corbijn deals with his epilepsy and profound impact it had on him without resorting to cliche, and the soundtrack is obviously great. Add in a cameo from the incomparable John Cooper-Clarke and there's every reason to revisit this film, or enjoy it for the first time.