Sunday afternoon at the movie

Andy and I saw Control yesterday. It's the story of Ian Curtis, lead singer and writer for the band Joy Division (the English band that later became New Order). The movie was visually spectacular and emotionally compelling. Shot all in black and white with lots of tight close-ups and claustrophobic room and stage settings, it feels raw and immediate. I looked up director Anton Corbjin, and found out that he is a photographer and creator of rock videos. This is his first feature film. It makes sense that the movie looks almost like a series of portraits. In the audience I could just stare at the shapes and faces, and felt like I was right in the middle of the events of this short life story. Ian Curtis was a talented writer and singer who lived a short life. The movie tells the story of a man pulled in too many directions. We watch him lose control, and with it his belief in himself. He just can't be all of the things that people need him to be. The sound track matches songs to situations, mirroring the singer's growing feeling of desperation. It's grim and not always beautiful, but as the character says in one scene, "Not all songs are meant to be beautiful."

It's on at the Fifth Avenue Cinema in Vancouver.

question: seen any good movies lately?

mompoet - I love the movies