Anton Corjbin's hotly anticipated Ian Curtis biopic, Control, debuted at Cannes today as part of the Director's Fortnight series, and both of showbiz's two biggest trades have weighed in.
Variety gives it a rave, full of their annoying in-house jargon: "Somber, sad and compelling, Ian Curtis biopic Control, about Blighty '80s post-punk band Joy Division's lead singer, is a riveting, visually arresting portrait of a soul in torment. Central perf by Sam Riley is a winner, surrounded by a strong ensemble of thesps. First feature helming bow by photographer Anton Corbijn manages to present working-class Northern England in a wide range of appealing grays that make the description "black-and-white film" inadequate. Widely anticipated by the band's legion of fans, pic is assured a warm welcome and a successful worldwide tour." (Read the whole review)
The Hollywood Reporter, however, is less enthusiastic: "Any biography of a fringe performer with a cult following must give the uninitiated some clue as to what the fuss was about or it will never appeal beyond a small circle. Anton Corbijn's "Control," covering the short life of 1970s British rocker Ian Curtis of Joy Division, captures the period nicely. It features lots of music from that time, and it has decent performances, but it fails to make the case for its fallen star," adding later in the review, "Curtis is made to look like a bland grammar school boy who leaves wife, baby, girlfriend, bandmates and fans in the lurch because he can't stand the heat of fame." (Read the full review)
Ouch. I'm guessing THR reviewer Ray Bennett is not a Joy Division fan. The rest of us will get to make up our own minds when Control makes it's stateside debut this fall, date tbd. To tide you over, here's LCD Soundsystem's cover of "No Love Lost" (not used in the film) from their "All My Friends" single:
MP3: LCD Soundsystem - No Love Lost
Neworderonline has loads of stills from the movie.
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