From the BBC: A British film about the life and death of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, starring a first-time actor, has earned a rapturous reception in Cannes. Unknown Sam Riley said he was "working in a warehouse in Leeds folding shirts" when he was cast to star in Control. Debut film director Anton Corbijn said the newcomer had brought "an innocence and freshness that I was hoping for but never thought I would find".
The movie opened the 60th Cannes Film Festival's Director's Fortnight.
"This is a very hard role for anybody to play, because it is very hard to fit in somebody's shoes who has become an icon in many people's eyes," said the Dutch director. "I can't think of the movie without Sam, to be very honest - I think he gave everything to that role.
"It was his first film, it was my first film - in a way we had nothing to lose."
Control, which also stars Samantha Morton as Curtis's wife, follows the singer's rise with Joy Division until his suicide in 1980, aged 23. The singer battles epilepsy and is torn between his love for his wife and a Belgian girlfriend he meets while on tour.
Riley said his research involved studying the effects of epilepsy, as well as viewing surviving footage of Curtis's performances. "I spent a lot of time in the mirror doing dance moves," he said. "I tried to play him as fairly normal bloke, with an exceptional talent.
"He was an incredibly enigmatic performer - unusual, and uncomfortable in a way. And a fantastic lyricist for his age, for any age."
The surviving members of Joy Division, who became New Order, have seen the finished film, Corbijn said.
"They hardly ever agree on anything together, but they have agreed that they all love the film."
3 comments:
Sounds great! I thought 24 Hr Party People kind of fizzled out after Ian's death. I like New Order but I find them emotionless compared to Joy Division.
I was at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yesterday and they had some good Joy Division/New Order stuff. Unfortunately Bob Segar's exhibit was right next to theirs, which kind of ruffled my feathers.
But not as much as the fact that KISS has been snubbed year after year.
But I did get to see Michael Jackson's glove...
But then I saw Elvis's friggin' Bible and I wanted to smash open the case and set it on fire.
It would've caught fire just from the contact with oxygen. Elvis spent a ton of money to have that Bible bound in sodium.
Huzza-whuh?
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