Control

Directed by: Anton Corbijn
Starring: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Harry Treadaway

"It's black and white. It's not very fast. It's about the '70s." And thus director Anton Corbijn succinctly introduced the film festival audience to his debut full-length feature. And it's an accurate summation. Unless you've been living in a Nike shoebox for the last six months, chances are you've heard something about this film — based on the story of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, who (spoiler warning for music philistines) hanged himself in his kitchen shortly before the band's American tour.

Corbijn, who has been earning his livelihood through music videos and photography, has managed to rely on character and atmosphere over frivolity and sensation. He's certainly made an effort to make Control as credible as possible — the recently deceased Tony Wilson (Factory Records) and Curtis' wife are both co-producers, and New Order scored the film. Rather than rely on existing recordings, the actors perform the music themselves — you'll be hearing (and watching) Riley's imitation, rather than Curtis — giving the film a solid attempt at authenticity. No frills direction (although there is that occasional and near-tangible music video quality), a surprisingly sensitive portrayal by Riley and plenty of humourous quips to take the edge off leave the film suspiciously likeable.

At this point, Control's true nature becomes immediately clear. This is not perfection, run-of-the-mill biopic or hyperbole. This is a labour of love.