Before launching into my review, let me first comment on the movie house. You should absolutely check out the Regency Fairfax Cinema, which might be the last second run theater in Los Angeles — hey, smarty pants, technically The New Beverly is a revival house. Where else in LA proper can you find a movie ticket that costs less than a small soda ($3 vs. $3.25, respectively). Now, our main attraction:
The music biopic is a tricky genre. It’s difficult to not turn it into a vignette of greatest hits but we all want to hear the music. How do you show the genius of creation without making that moment of realization cringe-worthy (RAY, I’m looking at you and the “Hit the Road, Jack” scene)? Thankfully, CONTROL avoids these trapping. Concerning itself with the short life of Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division, this film dazzles with every facet: the acting, the images, the music, it all works beautifully. It’s obvious that photographer turned director Anton Corbijn has been dreaming of making this for the last decade because every choice glows with the confidence that comes from playing the film in your head over and over again. This movie is absolutely thrilling…
…and then, mirroring Ian Curtis’ life, the movie falls into a dreary slump. The performances, the photography, everything is still up to snuff but the film loses its will to live long before the main character does (did I just spoil it for you? Well, you should know Joy Division better). Why can’t the downfall be as breathtaking as the dizzying ascent of success? Look at BOOGIE NIGHTS. That’s how you pack excitement into tragedy. By the end I was more restless than a kid full of candy trapped in a Tarkovsky film.
On a final note, I’m looking forward to Anton’s next film. As we all know, in the movies as in music, it’s hurtling the sophomore slump where you really prove yourself.