The most telling scene comes when Ian records an in-studio track for the song "Isolation." While Curtis stoically sings into the microphone, his band mates are distracted with the normal banter that typically occurs in a studio. Ian's spirit is also tortured by overwhelming guilt brought on by an extra-marital affair with a part-time journalist, played by Romanian-born Alexandra Maria Lara. His only option is to swallow a daily cocktail of prescription drugs with side effects so terrible, that most of us would rather tempt fate than endure the aftermath of the pills. As he battles epilepsy, the young singer lives in constant fear that his next seizure will be his last. The key to Control is understanding Curtis' depression, which the film accomplishes to near perfection.
The film is based on Deborah Curtis' autobiography, "Touching From A Distance", so it comes as a surprise that Morton's character does not have more scenes in the movie. Academy Award nominee, Samantha Morton plays the confused wife trying to understand her husband's depressed soul.
As Joy Division begins to flourish, Ian's relationship with his young wife, Deborah, continues to distance itself. At a chance meeting following a Sex Pistols concert, Curtis bonds with three fellow musicians to form the band. Curtis is played by relative newcomer, Sam Riley, who's quiet and unassuming approach portrays an artist inspired by his heroes, David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Manchester has since rebounded and is once again thriving. The use of black and white also captures the factory town of Manchester, England in the late 1970s, a city crumbling under industrial and economic stress. Instead, he lets the stark black and white of the film tell the story of a lead singer tortured by epilepsy, guilt, depression and suicidal thoughts. With his first feature film, Corbijn avoids the pitfalls of many music video directors who inundate us with flashy and unnecessary edits and camera angles. Corbijn went on to photograph and direct videos for such musical greats as U2, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, R.E.M. 27 years after his tragic death, Curtis' incredible contribution to music is finally being recognized in Anton Corbijn's film, "Control." It's only fitting that Corbijn serve as director since it was his early photographs of Joy Division that reflected the band's dark, introspective songs. Before there was Kurt Cobain, there was Ian Curtis, lead singer of the post-punk band, Joy Division. For every icon, there is an unknown predecessor who paves the way.
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