Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room What are you watching?

It is an unbelievable performance. I have watched it 4x already!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNl6Vdqt3Mg

Boxsets of Bottom, Coogan and Python.

Should last me until Spring.

Also Flaming Lips "Christmas on Mars" - weird and wonderful.

Control

Would love to know what you think of it...when you're finished of course.

I watched it the other day.

Having not known many details about Ian Curtis' life I thought they did an adequate job. I say adequate because I felt there should or could have been more. The movie led one to conclude that his anguish was due to the epilepsy and his unhappy marriage but even as you watched it you knew there was something missing. Perhaps it was a deliberate effort to not focus on his inner pain but when he starts falling apart before gigs, the viewer is left to wonder why. I felt there should have been more passion to the screenplay.

I thought the portayal of the 1970s music scene was quite good.

And I thought the actors did a fantastic job with what they were given to work with. The physical resemblances were remarkable.

Thanks for that Maryann .. yes I too thought there was 'something missing'in the screenplay but it was hard for me to be objective too.
Found it just a tad drawn out too, but I suppose you have to share the agony...
Yes the 'band' did an excellent job especially their performance of Transmission on the TV show!

Hi Maryann, Hi D,

I had to go and watch it again after Maryann's comments!

I think you're right though. I think the first time I watched it, my 'anorak nerd Joy Division' brain cells filled pieces that weren't there; I was able to jump from one scene to the next and fill in the history between.

I got the Grant Gee documentary for Christmas. I've not had time to watch the film itself but have managed to look at the extras which are cutting room edits from the original interview sessions - the interview pieces with Sumner and Morris are good; quite touching and funny anecdotes.

I am glad it wasn't just me. I so desperately wanted to feel the emotional 'punch' but it wasn't there. I feel the opportunity was wasted. Perhaps in the hands of a more skilled director.....

No fault of the actors though. And the resemblances were downright amazing.

It was a good piece and a good introduction to those not too familar but it could have been so much more raw and insightful.

Don't forget that Control is based on Deborah Curtis' book "Touching from a Distance". I may be wrong but I think she very much wanted to show the ordinary man, such as he was, rather than the legend. I also don't think too much second guessing of Ian's internal workings would have worked - we have the lyrics and vocal performances for that. For me then, the balance was pretty good, any more raw and emotional would not have worked.

Very true. He was an ordinary man with an extraordinary talent/gift, a poet really.

One of the scenes that I wished they had expanded upon was when he anguished about how much he gives for each show; that no one realizes how much he puts into it.