Sorry to see this rock'n'roll bio-pic did such poor box office...

Rating: 6/10 (21 June 2009)

...not only in the U.S. of A. (where Joy Division was at best a cult band), but apparently in England as well, where the central character's band, Joy Division, was far more well-known. Such a shame, since "Control" is a well made, if somewhat slow-paced and (no surprise here) depressing film. Evocatively shot in black and white by Martin "The Countess" Ruhe, and directed by Depeche Mode (and others) video artiste, Anton Corbijn (also a former NME photographer and longtime Joy Division fan), "Control" limns the short, bleak life of Ian Curtis, the band's ill-fated lead singer.
Beautifully acted by leads, Sam "On the Road" Riley and Samantha "Sweet and Lowdown" Morton, along with a fine supporting ensemble, "Control" paints a stark portrait of a young man unable to weather the intertwining conflicts of love, notoriety, and adult responsibility. It wasn't love that tore him apart, so much as it was (as the film's title seems to indicate) an inability to deal with his own poorly developed self-control. Being epileptic assuredly didn't help, no doubt exacerbating Curtis' depressions and sense of helplessness, but ultimately the final arbiter of his suicide was no one and nothing but his own fragile, conflicted will. He had a fine wife, a child, an expanding place in the sun, a vehicle for his creative impulse, and yet he couldn't help but throw it all away, first by betraying his family and ultimately by betraying himself. "Control" has plenty of moral questions to pose, and to the filmmakers' credit offers neither facile nor concrete answers. The sparse, linear screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh (who's written another script now in production concerning John Lennon's early life) is based on a Curtis bio written by his widow (which I've not read), and feels fairly objective and non-judgmental, at least to this viewer. I suspect that the director's personal relationship with the Curtises had much to do with that.
In a nutshell: absolutely worth a watch for Joy Division devotees, Morton and/or Riley fans, and lovers of small, effective character-driven cinema. Highly NOT recommended for puerile mainstream audiences who regard Transformers movies or gimmicky films like "Cloverfield" as high art.