04/23/2012 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

"Control" by Yojimbo

Joy Division have always been the kind of band I appreciate rather than love. They are intelligent, important, and interesting but have never got my adrenalin flowing like many of my favourites do. The same is true of this film. It's very well made, well shot and well written and the performance by Sam Riley as Ian Curtis is totally believable. But somehow it left me cold. I felt like I was watching a museum exhibit; a portrait of a young man in a glass case that I had no emotional attachment to. Was he a troubled genius plagued by mental illness, or was his suicide caused by the side effects of a cocktail of ineffectual and misprescribed drugs? Or was he just a typically selfish and pretentious pop star just guilty about not being able to say no to a hot and willing young groupie? I don'...

Rating of
2.5/4 

09/25/2008 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

The Definition of Cool

This movie absolutely blew me away. As far as musical biopics go, this is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Sam Riley got my attention the moment he appeared on screen and never let go. He played Ian Curtis with such passion and charisma but also highlighted the character flaws and decisions Curtis made in his life. Samantha Morton breaks my heart as Curtis’ wife who really did everything she could to show her love for Curtis. When she finds out that her husband is less than loyal, the way she responded was unpredictable. Like the actors’ performances, this film is very lowkey yet it has an undeniable quiet power that moved me. As for Joy Division, I didn’t know much more about them except that they greatly influenced Franz Ferdinand’s music. So, I didn’t know what I was in for. Joy Divisio...

Rating of
4/4