Rent Control (2007)
3.7 of 5 from 294 ratings
1h 57min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Control is the story of the late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis's life, from the bands rise to fame to his tragic suicide. Control documents the relationships with both his wife and his girlfriend, his battle with epilepsy and the road to success with his band, Joy Division.
- Actors:
- Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Craig Parkinson, Alexandra Maria Lara, Joe Anderson, James Anthony Pearson, Harry Treadaway, Toby Kebbell, Andrew Sheridan, Robert Shelly, Richard Bremmer, Tanya Myers, Martha Myers Lowe, Matthew McNulty, David Whittington, Margaret Jackman, Mary Jo Randle, Ben Naylor, John Cooper Clarke, James Fortune
- Directors:
- Anton Corbijn
- Producers:
- Anton Corbijn, Todd Eckert, Orian Williams
- Writers:
- Deborah Curtis, Matt Greenhalgh
- Studio:
- Momentum
- Genres:
- Drama, Music & Musicals
- Collections:
- 2008, A Brief History of Singer Biopics, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time, Top 10 Barnyard Bird Films
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 17/10/2011
- Run Time:
- 121 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Director's Commentary
- Extended Performance Scenes of Transmission, Leaders Of Men and Candidate
- Making Of Control
- Joy Division's Atmosphere '88 Video (Directed by Anton Corbijn)
- Trailer
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Reviews (4) of Control
Another Dead Pop Star - Control review by Kurtz
There’s nobody better qualified than Anton Corbijn to document the rise and fall of Joy Division, as his moody black and white photos of the band graced many a copy of NME during the band’s brief heyday. Twenty years on, he gets to make a film on the band, inevitably focussing on Ian Curtis, their lead singer whose suicide in 1980 stopped the band in its tracks and signalled a change of direction into the more commercial New Order. There are many good things about the film- Sam Riley’s performance as Curtis, Toby Kebbel’s brilliant portrayal of JD’s acerbic manager Rob Gretton, and Riley and his actor bandmates and their spirited stabs at the band’s doomy but uplifting music. Sadly, though, a film charting a character’s slide into suicidal despair via illness and marital strain is going to end on a bit of a downer, and although JD fans will love it, the uncommitted will find it heavy going, to say the least. “24 Hour Party People” presents a considerably livelier version of the same story, with the unfortunate addition of The Happy Mondays.
3 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Puts Macclesfield on the map - Control review by JD
I would recommend this film even if you are not familiar with Joy Division. There are lots of biographical films about musical icons and I've liked all the ones I've seen but this is one of the better ones. It explores and exposes the apparent contradictions in Curtis's life. The Joy Division music was presented but no more than required to give a feel of the force inside his head. Dower and dark but not depressing, even strangely uplifting in the sense of a genius as great as his was going to break up it was better that he was famous for that time.
2 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Excellent Biopic. - Control review by GI
A mesmerising rock biopic about the short life of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. It's also a story of mental illness and the destructive nature of fame and celebrity. Shot in black & white to represent the bleak nature of Britain in the 1970s & 80s and giving the film a pseudo documentary style this is a story of a tortured soul and with a remarkable central performance from Sam Riley. He portrays Curtis as a somewhat sad yet kindly young man, bored with his life in the north of England but who loves music. He marries his teenage girlfriend, Debbie (Samantha Morton), and works in the Employment Exchange as a clerk. Suffering from epilepsy and prone to sudden fits Ian joins a local band as the singer and his genius as a songwriter and his unique stage style soon brings them fame although fortune eludes them. But torn between his wife and baby daughter and a new girlfriend Annik (Alexandra Maria Lara) and overcome with depression exacerbated by his medication his life spirals out of control. The actors playing the remainder of the band play the music in the film themselves and the support cast are all exceptional especially Toby Kebbell as their cocky manager Rob and Craig Parkinson as Tony Wilson the owner of Factory Records. Whilst the film is sad it's also an inspired story of a lost genius. Even if you're not a fan of Joy Division and their music this is a really excellent film and well worth checking out.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.