Control (2007)

Director:

Anton Corbijn

Writers:

Deborah Curtis (autobiography "Touching from a Distance")
Matt Greenhalgh (writer)

Release Date:

12 September 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Singer | Suicide | Musician | Kitchen Sink Realism

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 25 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Sam Riley	...	Ian Curtis
Samantha Morton	...	Deborah Curtis
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Annik Honoré
Joe Anderson	...	Peter Hook
James Anthony Pearson	...	Bernard Sumner
Harry Treadaway	...	Stephen Morris
Craig Parkinson	...	Tony Wilson
Toby Kebbell	...	Rob Gretton
Andrew Sheridan	...	Terry Mason
Robert Shelly	...	Twinny
Richard Bremmer	...	Ian's Father
Tanya Myers	...	Ian's Mother
Martha Myers Lowe	...	Ian's Sister (as Martha Myers-Lowe)
Matthew McNulty	...	Nick Jackson
David Whittington	...	Chemistry Teacher
Margaret Jackman	...	Mrs. Brady
Mary Jo Randle	...	Debbie's Mother (as Mary-Jo Randle)
Ben Naylor	...	Martin Hannett
John Cooper Clarke	...	Himself
James Fortune	...	MC
Angus Addenbrooke	...	Colin
Nicola Harrison	...	Corrine Lewis
June Alliss	...	Corrine's Mother
George Newton	...	Studio Owner
Mark Jardine	...	Other Band Manager
Herbert Grönemeyer	...	Local GP
Paul Arlington	...	Hospital Doctor
Tim Plester	...	Earnest Richards
Joanna Swain	...	Maternity Nurse
Joseph Marshall	...	Alan from Crispy Ambulance
Laura Chambers	...	Claire
Eliot Otis Brown Walters	...	Footballing Kid (as Elliot Brown-Walters)
Monica Axelsson	...	Tony Wilson's Girlfriend
Lotti Closs	...	Gillian Gilbert
Eady Williams	...	Baby Natalie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nigel Harris	...	Tramp (uncredited)

Directed by
Anton Corbijn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Deborah Curtis		autobiography "Touching from a Distance"
Matt Greenhalgh		writer

Produced by
Iain Canning	....	executive producer
Anton Corbijn	....	producer
Deborah Curtis	....	co-producer
Todd Eckert	....	producer
Lizzie Francke	....	executive producer
Megumi Fukasawa	....	co-producer
Peter Heslop	....	co-producer
Satoru Iseki	....	co-producer
Akira Ishii	....	executive producer
Korda Marshall	....	executive producer
Orian Williams	....	producer
Tony Wilson	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Martin Ruhe

Film Editing by
Andrew Hulme

Casting by
Shaheen Baig

Production Design by
Chris Roope

Art Direction by
Philip Elton

Costume Design by
Julian Day

Makeup Department
Barbara Taylor	....	hair assistant
Barbara Taylor	....	makeup assistant
Jeremy Woodhead	....	hair designer
Jeremy Woodhead	....	makeup designer
Andy Seston	....	makeup daily (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew Foster	....	second assistant director
Toni Staples	....	first assistant director
Katy Stenson	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Josh Fifarek	....	set designer
Cassie Leedham	....	graphic designer
Chris Richmond	....	stand-by art director
Tim Stevenson	....	set constructor
Matt Wells	....	props

Sound Department
Iain Anderson	....	adr recordist
Nick Baldock	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Baldock	....	supervising sound editor: UK
Grant Bridgeman	....	sound assistant
Ben Carr	....	adr recordist
Daniel Crowley	....	boom operator
Carl Edström	....	sound effects editor
Adele Fletcher	....	adr editor
Linda Forsén	....	sound coordinator
Thomas Huhn	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Huhn	....	supervising sound editor
Jonas Jansson	....	sound effects editor
John Midgley	....	production sound mixer
Lucas Nilsson	....	foley artist
Gábor Pasztor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer

Visual Effects by
Mats Holmgren	....	digital colourist
Fredrik Nord	....	digital effects artist
Peter Törnestam	....	digital effects artist

Stunts
Riky Ash	....	stunt coordinator
Riky Ash	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Tim Battersby	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Robert Binnall	....	camera operator
Andy Clarke	....	best boy rigging gaffer
Rachel Clark	....	camera trainee
Warwick Drucker	....	key grip
Brian Fawcett	....	electrician
Dean Rogers	....	still photographer
Christopher Ross	....	camera operator
Basil Smith	....	daily focus puller
Barry Squires	....	camera assistant
Owen Tooth	....	video tape operator
Julian White	....	gaffer
Sophie Wilson	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting
Benjamin Till	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fiona MacKinnon	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Maria Dahlin	....	post-production coordinator
Mats Holmgren	....	colour grader
Barry Moen	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Rupert Christie	....	music mixer: live music
Peter Clarke	....	music editor
Roger Lyons	....	score engineer
Roger Lyons	....	score recordist
Ian Neil	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
John Oxborough	....	unit driver
Rod Patterson	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Lorraine Bagshaw	....	stand-in
Kellie Belle	....	product placement and clearances
Andrew Brand	....	floor runner
Neil Calder	....	completion guarantor: Film Finances Inc.
Vicky Chapman	....	location assistant
Mel Churcher	....	dialect coach
Lee Clyne	....	unit medic
Helen de Winter	....	delivery coordinator
Paul Dray	....	laboratory contact
Zoe Flower	....	unit publicist
Dan Hodgett	....	location services
Rob Jones	....	location manager
Simon Jones	....	tranport coordinator: London
Hakan Kousetta	....	production legal advisor
Alastair Mackay	....	location assistant
Louise Melzack	....	additional floor runner
Keeley Naylor	....	unit publicist
Tina Pawlik	....	assistant production coordinator
Rachel Robey	....	production coordinator
Alexandra Shipp	....	product placement and clearances
Val White	....	script supervisor
Emma Yeomans	....	assistant location manager

Thanks
Monica Axelsson	....	special thanks
Rebecca Boulton	....	special thanks
David Bowie	....	special thanks
Bart Chabot	....	special thanks
Natalie Curtis	....	special thanks
Paul Dray	....	special thanks
Steve Ellis	....	special thanks
Josh Fifarek	....	special thanks
Brandon Flowers	....	special thanks
Martin Gore	....	special thanks (as Martin L. Gore)
Herbert Grönemeyer	....	special thanks
Charles Hannah	....	special thanks
Annik Honoré	....	special thanks
Laura Kanerick	....	special thanks
Henric Larsson	....	special thanks
Alexandra McGuinness	....	special thanks
Paul Morley	....	special thanks
New Order	....	special thanks
Kate Ogborn	....	special thanks
Iggy Pop	....	special thanks
Tracey Pryor	....	special thanks
Lou Reed	....	special thanks
Mick Rock	....	special thanks
Peter Saville	....	special thanks
Siouxsie and the Banshees	....	special thanks
Torben Smith	....	thanks (as Dr. Torben Smith)
David Sultan	....	special thanks
Robert Walak	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• 3 Dogs and a Pony
• Becker Films
• Claraflora
• EM Media (executive production)
• NorthSee
• Three Dogs and a Pony
• Warner Music

Distributors

• Alliance (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2008) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Capelight Pictures (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema Without Frontiers (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Style Jam (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Barbar Film (2008) (Turkey) (all media)
• Daylight Films (2008) (Brazil) (all media)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• La Fabrique de Films (2007) (France) (all media)
• Momentum Pictures (2007) (UK) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Weinstein Company, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Chimney Pot, The

Other Companies

• Arion Facilities  dailies telecine transfers
• Art4noise  ADR recording
• Art4noise  dialogue editing
• Art4noise  sound post-production
• Bellwood Media  product placement and clearances
• Chimney Pot, The  digital post-production
• Cinema Investment  funding
• Europa Film Sound Production  re-recording studio (as Europa Sound Production)
• Glassworks  title production
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Ljudligan  foley studio (as Ljudligan Vast)
• Ljudligan  re-recording studio
• Ljudligan  sound post-production
• Offline Editing Company, The  post-production facilities
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Panavision UK  grip equipment
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services
• Tom Hingston Studio  title design
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK | USA | Australia | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Canada:14A | USA:R | Netherlands:6 | France:Unrated | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-13 | Germany:12 | Sweden:7 | Japan:PG-12 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Norway:15 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, UK

Company:

3 Dogs and a Pony

Trivia:

Actor Toby Kebbell, who plays Joy Division's manager Rob Gretton appeared in Dead Man's Shoes (2004) playing Paddy Considine's younger brother. Interestingly Paddy Considine himself also played Rob Gretton in Michael Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People (2002), which focused more on the biography of Tony Wilson and the Manchester music movement, and also partially featured a condensed time line for singer Ian Curtis' life.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In a song performance scene the guitarist is using Marshall Speaker Cabinets (model 1960A and 1960B). The speaker cabinets were not introduced until several years after Ian's death.

Quotes:

Ian Curtis: So this is permanence; love-shattered pride. What once was innocence, has turned on its side.

Movie Connections:

References The Sound of Music (1965)

Soundtrack:

Transmission

Walk in silence, don't walk away in silence.

For me personally writing a comment for Control has proved to be a very difficult thing, my love of the band Joy Division has stayed with me from the very first moment i listened to the Unknown Pleasures album back in 1979. I remember Ian Curtis's death like it was yesterday, and no matter how many years roll by, i still feel an immense sadness when listening to the bands poetic beauty. I was mightily relieved after reading Deborah Curtis's book Touching From A Distance, for i found it refreshingly honest, and certainly it helped people get in a bit deeper to just what a troubled young man Ian Curtis was. So here we are in 2008 and the film adaptation of that book has arrived with truly brilliant results.

I have found it hard to write a comment for it because i have to cast aside my biased love of the band, but i really feel that i'm viewing it objectively with both my head and my heart. Control is a film about Ian Curtis, the lead singer of the band Joy Division, people expecting a film about the band really need to apply elsewhere because this is the story of a troubled young man who just couldn't face it anymore. Filmed in black & white to perfectly capture the essence of the man the film is about, director Anton Corbijn has stayed loyal to the source material and crafted a haunting piece of work that lingers long after the final credits role.

We follow Ian Curtis from his humble music leanings in the early 70s, here he meets Deborah who is soon to become his wife, a married man at the age of 18. We watch him join a group of Manchester lads at a Sex Pistols concert, it is here that the roots of Joy Division are formed, on to the formation of Factory records and the Svengali Tony Wilson. As the band start to make waves Ian Curtis becomes ill with epilepsy, and it's here that Corbijn crucially shows that the doctors involved really didn't have a clue how to treat him properly, trial and error with cocktails of drugs indeed.

Deborah and Ian become parents to Natalie, but Ian is away on the road for many days and nights, and it's here that he yearns for love from another quarter, and it's here that his infidelity will hang heavy on his already sunken shoulders. The band are set to make it big, their manager announces that they are about to tour America for the first time, this only adds another fraught string to Ian's already fractured bow, the pressure of fame a lethal bedfellow with Messrs epilepsy and infidelity and then............................

I can't praise the work on this film enough, Sam Riley {relatively unknown outside of his hometown of Leeds} is simply brilliant as Curtis, dragging the viewer in completely on this desperately sad journey. Samantha Morton as Deborah is immense, she nails the emotional see-saw role with professional aplomb, and i would also like to raise a glass for the performance of the criminally undervalued Toby Kebbell, (Dead Man's Shoes, Wilderness) his turn as Joy Division's manager Rob Gretton is down pat. Director Corbijn clearly had love for the project, and thankfully he was sensible enough to not over do the sentimental aspect of the troubled star. What Corbijn has done is perfectly frame the bleaker side of the story with old terraced houses and monstrous looking high rise's, they scream out as dank and dreary statements in black & white, yet they are overlooked by rolling hills to serve as a reminder when Curtis was at his happiest during courtship with Deborah. Some scenes are unforgettable, such is the power of the emotion on offer, look out for the stunning appearance of heart tugging song Love Will Tear Us Apart, a crucial and poignant scene, and of course the films tragic outcome hits like a sledgehammer, and i thank Corbijn for giving us a very tasteful conclusion to this sad sad story.

So there it is, was i biased?, i like to think i wasn't because i honestly feel that one doesn't have to be a fan of the band to get much from this movie. The film has won many awards, and i'm happy to report that Control has brought renewed interest in the beautiful/haunting work of one of England's greatest bands, remastered CDs, reissued books, and even T-shirts are selling well in the shops as i type.

Control is a very sobering experience for fans and newcomers alike.

RIP Ian Curtis, you are very much missed.