Control (2007)

Director:

Anton Corbijn

Writers:

Deborah Curtis (book)
Matt Greenhalgh (screenplay)

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 | Employment Agency | Record Label

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 27 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Sam Riley	...	Ian Curtis
Samantha Morton	...	Debbie Curtis
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Annik Honore
Joe Anderson	...	Hooky
James Anthony Pearson	...	Bernard Sumner
Harry Treadaway	...	Steve Morris
Craig Parkinson	...	Tony Wilson
Toby Kebbell	...	Rob Gretton
Andrew Sheridan	...	Terry
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
David Whittington	...	Chemistry Teacher
Margaret Jackman	...	Mrs. Brady
Mary Jo Randle	...	Debbie's Mother (as Mary-Jo Randle)
Ben Naylor	...	Martin Hannet
John Cooper Clarke	...	Himself
James Fortune	...	MC
Angus Addenbrooke	...	Colin
Nicola Harrison	...	Corrine
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
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
Deborah Curtis		(book "Touching from a Distance")
Matt Greenhalgh		(screenplay)

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
Peter Heslop	....	line 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
Greyham Feehily	....	carpenter
Josh Fifarek	....	set designer
Cassie Leedham	....	graphic designer
Simon Morrissey	....	property master
Sarah Jane Reichert	....	art department trainee
Chris Richmond	....	stand-by art director
Daz Spencer-Lovesey	....	set dresser
Tim Stevenson	....	set constructor
Kip Walker	....	supervising stand-by propman
Matt Wells	....	props

Sound Department
Iain Anderson	....	adr recordist
Nick Baldock	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Baldock	....	dialogue editor
Peter Baldock	....	supervising sound editor: UK
Grant Bridgeman	....	sound assistant
Ben Carr	....	assistant adr editor
Daniel Crowley	....	sound maintenance (as Dan Crowley)
Anders Degerberg	....	sound mastering
Carl Edström	....	sound effects editor
Adele Fletcher	....	adr editor
Linda Forsén	....	sound coordinator
Anna Gideonsson	....	foley trainee
Thomas Huhn	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Huhn	....	supervising sound editor: Sweden
Jonas Jansson	....	sound effects editor
John Midgley	....	sound recordist
Lucas Nilsson	....	foley artist
Gábor Pasztor	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gabor Pasztor)
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer

Visual Effects by
Mats Holmgren	....	digital colourist
Jonas Jangvad	....	digital intermediate scanner
Fredrik Nord	....	digital effects artist
Peter Törnestam	....	digital effects artist

Stunts
Asen Asenov	....	stunts
Riky Ash	....	stunt coordinator
Riky Ash	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Alexander	....	Steadicam operator
Paul Alexander	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Peter Batten	....	additional camera operator
Tim Battersby	....	focus puller
Robert Binnall	....	camera operator
Rachel Clark	....	camera trainee (as Rachel Clarke)
Andy Clarke	....	rigging gaffer (as Andrew Clarke)
Warwick Drucker	....	grip
Warwick Drucker	....	key grip
Jonathan Earp	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Tom Fabian	....	crane operator
Brian Fawcett	....	electrician
Mick Lord	....	stand-by rigger
Dean Rogers	....	still photographer
Christopher Ross	....	camera operator
Basil Smith	....	daily focus puller
Barry Squires	....	camera assistant
Owen Tooth	....	video playback assistant
Julian White	....	gaffer
Jim Wilkinson	....	crane operator
Sophie Wilson	....	clapper loader

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
Helen de Winter	....	delivery coordinator
Mats Holmgren	....	colour grader
Richard Lloyd	....	post production supervisor
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
John Midgley	....	music engineer: live music
John Midgley	....	music recordist: live music
Ian Neil	....	music supervisor

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

Other crew
Monica Axelsson	....	assistant to director
Lorraine Bagshaw	....	stand-in
Joanna Bates	....	assistant production accountant
Kellie Belle	....	product placement and clearances
Katie Bleakley	....	production runner
Andrew Brand	....	floor runner
Lesley Broderick	....	post-production accountant
Lesley Broderick	....	production accountant
Neil Calder	....	completion guarantor: Film Finances Inc.
Vicky Chapman	....	location assistant
Mel Churcher	....	dialogue coach
Lee Clyne	....	unit medic
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
Anna Lindqvist	....	title designer: main and end titles
Al Mackay	....	location assistant (as Alastair Mackay)
Andrew Mackie	....	production executive
Louise Melzack	....	additional floor runner
Keeley Naylor	....	unit publicist
Tina Pawlik	....	assistant production coordinator
Rachel Robey	....	production coordinator
Peter Saville	....	titles consultant
Alexandra Shipp	....	product placement and clearances
Val White	....	script supervisor
Christina Withers	....	assistant: Samantha Morton
Emma Yeomans	....	location scout

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)
• Canvas (2010) (Belgium) (TV)
• 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)
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Glassworks  title production
• Goldcrest Post Production London  sound post-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

Also Known As:

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 Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Norway:15 (TV rating) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, UK

Company:

3 Dogs and a Pony

Trivia:

The script for the film was written to be told in flashback. This was later changed by the director because he felt it was more emotional to follow Ian's journey linearly.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In Ian's bathroom medicine cabinet is a bottle of Tigabine an anti-epileptic not available till the 1990's.

Quotes:

Ian Curtis:I struggle between what I know is right in my own mind, and some warped truthfulness as seen through other people's eyes who have no heart, and can't see the difference anyway.

Movie Connections:

References 24 Hour Party People (2002)

Soundtrack:

Isolation

stunning piece of work.......

Anton Corbin has created a film that perfectly showcases both the music of Joy Division and the short but fruitful life of Ian Curtis. The choice to film in black and white was the right one. It sets the tone perfectly for Ian Curtis' gray and lifeless hometown of Macclesfield in 1973.

Corbin as a first time director excels utilizing his visual and technical skills from his previous life as a music video director. Thankfully Control is not just a beautiful looking movie but a perfectly pitched study of the rise and tragic fall of the tortured Ian Curtis. The intensity of the live music performances in the film are as visceral as those of the real band. It is a credit to the actors that they played everything live on screen, it serves to create memorable performances.

Sam Riley delivers a towering performance as Curtis. The first time actor is a name to watch. He is surrounded by a great cast but the film is carried on Riley's shoulders.His inner turmoil is conveyed with great humanity and realism. The audience was still and quiet for quite some time after the credits rolled at the screening I attended.

There are some very clever and touching uses of the music in the film. Corbin uses the intensity of Curtis' lyrics to help paint a biographical picture of the man. The use of 'Love will tear us apart' in the movie was particularly inspired giving the context of the scene it was played in. I hope you will go see this powerful and moving film to see what I am talking about.