New biopic on Joy Division, Ian Curtis: Control

Out mid-October: a biopic on Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division, shot in luscious black and white by renowned photographer and music video director Anton Corbijn. Pulling in some great reviews, and looks awesome. Hope the film lives up to the tease and does not induce PTSD (Promising-Trailer-Syndrome-of-Disappointment), because the trailer sure is lovely. Link to website with trailer, gnargghhh, wish they hadn't built it in such a fat Flash interface, takes for.ev.er. to load on the EVDO card I'm using right now in a car repair waiting room. (Spotted in Souris Hong-Porretta's tweetstream)

Update: oooh, the soundtrack tracklist has leaked -- Link.

• [Anonymous]

  Echoing the comments of everyone who has seen it (I saw it at the New Zealand Film Festival last month).

  The live songs are all performed by cast members, and sound authentic (I only picked they weren’t original live recordings because the sound quality was too good).

  @7: it doesn’t take itself tooooo seriously: there are a surprising number of funny/light moments.

• [Anonymous]

  Echoing the comments of everyone who has seen it (I saw it at the New Zealand Film Festival last month).

  The live songs are all performed by cast members, and sound authentic (I only picked they weren’t original live recordings because the sound quality was too good).

  @7: it doesn’t take itself tooooo seriously: there are a surprising number of funny/light moments.

• [American Scot]

  I’m really looking forward to seeing this film. I read an article about this somewhere last week, (maybe Boing,Boing?) and there was a brief interview with Bernard Sumner about it. In it he stated that almost everything about the film was realistic.

  Should be a great film! At least I’m hoping so!

• [Xeni Jardin]

  @American Scot: Oooh, darnit, I can’t find that in our archives — will look for url elsewhere!

• [Anonymous]

  For a very amusing look into Factory Records, Joy Division’s record label, be sure to check out the movie 24 Hour Party People.

  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274309/

• [Anonymous]

  Actually, saw the film here in Rome as part of a post-Cannes film festival a few months ago… it’s amazing. Really well done, I was floored by it.. I doubt you’ll be dissapointed!

• [Anonymous]

  Along with Control, the Toronto International Film Festival will also be screening Grant Gee’s new documentary, Joy Division next week.

• [Anonymous]

  I actually work with two people who were exras in the film. I could have been one myself but I had to go to Greece. I’ve heard that he film is amazing and should put the town of Macclesfield on the map.

• [Anonymous]

  while this film was stunningly shot and styled, i was acutely aware the filmmaker was making the wife’s story… i could feel her everywhere in it.

• [BattyMcDougall]

  I have goosebumps. Man, something about Manchester music from ’76-’82 just gets me all giddy… You can tell from the people involved in this project that it was a real labour of love.

• [kuanes]

  @american scot:

  everything i have read, particularly an interview with bernard and hooky on yahoo had them laughing at their perceived inconsistencies and half-truths in the film, stating (and i’m paraphrasing here) that at least “24 Hour Party People” was stupid fun while being full of lies, rather than “Control” taking itself so serioiusly.

  regardless, i’ve got to get a copy of this (or go see it at least) VERY SOON!

• [el Charlot]

  I’ve seen it 2 month ago, at a press projection. All I can say is that it is a masterpiece, very deep, very intense, with amazing actors and a very very good “atmosphere”. I’m a huge fan of Joy Division for more than 20 years, and I can say I’m really not disapointed.

  I dont want to tell much about it, just go see it if you’re a Joy Div fan, and go see it if you never heard of the band, no need to know the music to enjoy the movie.

• [Chang]

  This does look awesome! I am looking forward to it. Doubt it will ever get to Maine. but one can dream.

  I had the best Joy Division/New Order moment this morning. Driving my kid to the last day of summer camp, she was listening to “Regret” on her walkman (probably the last good song New Order has written) and I was listening to Substance on the car stereo. I finally turned off JD because I wanted to hear my girl sing Regret so heartfully.

  Precious moments.

• [Opus]

  Twitch gave it a pretty favorable review…

  http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/cannes-report-control-review/

• [skearcrow]

  I got to see a screener for audience reaction after watching the ‘Transformers’ movie here in NYC. The film is phenomenal. The crowd they gathered was a mix of Joy Division fans and losers looking to catch a free movie. I believe it was well-reviewed on both sides. Samantha Morton is incredible and the kid who plays Ian has star potential.

• [Webbie]

  It’s not a fucking biopic. They hate that term. (2nd paragraph).

• [Xeni Jardin]

  @Chang that’s so cool!

• [American Scot]

  @Kuanes

  Hook said something complimentary about it here:

  http://musicslut.blogspot.com/2007/06/peter-hook-responds-to-control.html

  Who knows what he really thinks?

• [Silva]

  I’m not a movie-goer, but as a massive Joy Division and-everything-Factory-and-Manchester fan, I’m more than willing to put up with annoying people and overpriced everything to see it on the big screen.

• [Anonymous]

  The screenplay just won an award: http://www.list.co.uk/article/4577-control-wins-best-screenplay-award-for-new-british-film/