The main reason I wanted to see this film was that part of the story was about Joy Division and Ian Curtis. I would be a liar if I said I was disappointed because I simply loved this film but I was just wondering about the actor who played Ian, Sean Harris? Did he do a good job? what do you think
I thought he did his best but I wasn't as happy with the results as I wanted to be.
I think he did an ok job of Ian Curtis, spot on with the whole epilepsy thing, but if you ask me if you watch this film as many times as i do, i can't really see Ian curtis anymore. all i ever think of is sean harris when curtis is mentioned. sorry Ian, thanks for love will tear us apart though.
-When routine bites hard, and ambitions are low...
This was also the main reason why I watched this film. This film was informative, and the actor (Sean Harris) did a decent job. Then again, it must've been hard to find someone to portray Ian Curtis. I did get all choked up in the movie when he ended his life. Ian Curtis was so talented... yet He lived such a difficult life. Anyways, all in all....I liked the movie.
Don't walk away in silence
I can't help feeling the suicide scene was botched and clumsily done.
I can appreciate how difficult it is to make a film about people whose friends and relatives are still alive, but the point is as a scene, a story, Curtis *the charcter*'s suicide didn't work. The audience learns nothing of his journey to suicide, and indeed very little about the charcter himself - only that he dances funny and is epileptic.
But the most clumsy thing about the suicide scene is that shot of the swinging feet. It's almost a comedic way of dealing with suicide. A difficult scene to shoot - top marks for effort - but poorly done.
You do have a good point KlangDing. I never thought about it that way, until now. I agree with you. Well put.
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Yeah, I guess you're right. I haven't seen the DVD version, but I've read the book (by Tony Wilson), plus Paul Morley's account (in "Nothing") and the occasional mention, and I guess from the outside it really did seem like a random event. (Tony Wilson's account in the book does add some extra insight: apparently Curtis was seeing another woman at the time, or something.) But then that is the problem with the film: that it is based on people who are still living (or whose relatives are still living), so the scriptwriter was allowed so little dramatic licence with the "characters". (This *is* a film, not a documentary - these are characters in this context.)
You could say another problem with the film is the fact that it entirely centres upon Tony Wilson - he's in practically every scene - when, perhaps, there were more interesting characters in the story (from a dramatic point of view).
I'd say Sean Harris did well with so little to go on.
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To be fair to the filmmakers, they do make it abundantly clear (Steve Coogan says it bluntly a couple of times) that wilson is not the most interesting, important or even the most insightful character - he's just the point of view from which they chose to tell it. Personally, I found this quite refreshing, as it made the film stand apart from your average biopic. It was a challenging endeavour to discern the truth from the hubris in the account given by wilson, who would have to be the most arrogant w**ker I've never met (as anyone who's read the novelisation will attest to.)
shareYou know, I think the suicide was actually done perfectly. Ian Curtis was a troubled man, but nobody thought he was so troubled as he would take his life. He had things to live for, which makes his suicide inexplicable and absurd. And suicide is often inexplicable and absurd. If anybody had any idea what was up wiht him, they might have tried to help him.
I thought the suicide was sloppily handled as well. If you check the distractingly spazzy credits at the end, special thanks is given to Debbie Curtis and their daughter Natalie so you can read into that what you wish (endorsement or tolerance, I think the latter).
It's a dificult thing to address on film... small details like the Stroszek clip(truck going in a circle) are mentioned in the book Touching from a Distance by Deborah Curtis as well. The problems I had with the Joy Division part of the story was the constant elevation of Tony Wilson throughout most of the aftermath / wake scenes. When Steve Coogan said "goodbye my son," I actually felt sick. I came away with as low an opinion of WIlson as I had before watching the movie.
The rest of the first half of the film was good. Sean Harris did well with what he was given to work with. The real story of Ian Curtis remains diluted from other people's accounts so you can only do so much. I read a blurb somewhere about how all the actors felt they got the look down (Barney was spot on ) except the guy who played Peter Hook- which I agree with & found amusing. l I enjoyed the humor of the Martin Hannett scenes in the studio. Steve Morris getting left out on the roof was hilarious. That part where they hear a rough version of "She's Lost Control" for the first time as they drive thru Manchester at night was haunting and done well. They needed to include more of that stuff and less of Tony.
"you're neither. You are an errand boy sent by grocery clerks....to collect the bill."
both barney and peter have had nothing but the highest praise for sean harris. peter has even been quoted as saying that he got chills watching sean perform as ian, and that being in the same room as him was "spooky". their words are the highest endorsement you could ask for.
shareSean Harris did a brilliant job of Ian, but what sucks the most is that Peter Hook told the press that a film about Ian's life based on his biography 'Touching from a distance' written by his widow is to be made. Thats great and all, but Peter Hook has said that Jude Law is to be playing the role of Ian Curtis. I know its the media and they talk a load of sh*t but why Jude Law? whats wrong with Sean Harris? he acted as Ian Curtis brilliantly.
shareAlthough I agree he played a good part, Jude Law will take this movie to the wider audience the story deserves. Apart from the fact that Law looks very much like Curtis.
share'touching from a distance' is in the imdb but nothing else on it. so who knows if jude is in it or not, i think he would be great, but sean harris was also excellent. i agree with fondablaster that the curtis scene is dead on-herzog, the idiot...
havnt read tony wilson's book yet but love the film. i also agree with vegas that jude will take it to a wider audience but in america, alas, it will probably just go to the art-house theaters (like 24 party did) and fans of the music, genre, scene, will be the most audience it will have, unfortunately.
Hear that Silent Bob, I'm a plaintiff!
haha, can you imagine Jude Law fans buying Joy Division CDs to prep for the new movie?
Question: didn't Ian Curtis have blue eyes, while Sean Harris had brown eyes?
everyone should buy joy division cds:)
Hear that Silent Bob, I'm a plaintiff!
Especially the Box Set. Excellent.
shareFrom neworderonline.com:
"Bass guitarist Peter Hook said Law was "not a bad choice".
But he said he would have preferred to have seen Sean Harris reprise his role for the biopic, having played Curtis in 24 Hour Party People.
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i imagine that the reason harris was passed-by to reprise his role as curtis is because he's not a "household name" actor like jude law is...
Fair enough I see ur point, but if the Touching from a distance is made, who would you get to play the rest of joy division? Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Steve Morris? Who would play them? Would John Simm take the role again?
shareDunno if they can act, but the singer/guitarist from Franz Ferdinand looks and dresses just like Sumner in Joy Division. Vernon Kay looks like Morris and he's got the accent, Joe fiennes with stubble looks like hook. Also, seeing as most of the images you see of Joy Division are in black and white, how about shooting the picture in black and white with colour just for the onstage stuff ? I think it could give the film a grittier feel. The colour onstage parts would highlight Curtises stage presence.
,"this wee lassy got glassed and no c%$t leaves here till we find out what c*&t did it"
No, I think the Black and White looked really fitting for the concert. Most Joy Divisions concerts were really low-lit so as to not provoke Ian Curtis's epilepsy
shareas far as i'm aware, the project's been in the works for years now and jude law has only been a rumor, never officially committed to it in any way. it's entirely possible he may have been the frontrunner for the role at one point but for some reason i highly doubt he'd make it onto film. an ian curtis biopic is, let's be honest, never going to be a huge blockbuster, so why even bother casting an overpaid pretty-boy in a role for which he's so completely ill-suited? i think enough people involved, from ian curtis's family and friends to serious directors, to fans themselves, would never allow the film to turn into a star vehicle for some nanny-shagging tabloid fodder.
ugh, i bet law would want a stunt double to do most of his seizures.
excuse me, i'm blowing your mind.
Jude Law is too old and his over-exposure as it is will distract the whole film. You need a character actor or an unknown to play Curtis.
That kid in Hollyoaks whos always smoking weed would be good.
The writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a neighbour of mine, I was speaking to him in the summer about the film. He states when he was interviewing all the main men to develop the film story line that before it became apparant that Tony Wilson was to be the main character that Peter Hook told him that the story should centre around Stephen Morris as he is the weirdist character in the whole Factory Story.
He also said that when Andy Serkis came out of wardrobe dressed as Hannett that all the real characters from the film (who were hanging around on set all the time) saw him, that many had to leave because the likeness was so strong that they found it upsetting, my precious.
i too love the movie, i think the film its a division of 2 different situations, the first the painful live of ian curtis, and all the passion he always show in their gigs, the fantastic legacy he leave, and the music of the most greatest band in all times (for me). the second situation, all the good life of happy mondays and madchester life, i think it was really good, i too love happy mondays, but im waiting for the ian curtis and joy division movie, but 24 hour party people was pretty good.
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I think Sean Harris was great as Ian Curtis! I do agree though that the suicide was handled badly. I loved Ian's entrance, standing close to Tony and he didn't know if he was going to hit him. Classic!
Please note, I've only seen this movie once and after reading other peoples posts I understand more about it than I did when I wrote my own.
In answer to Amnesian's question, Sean's eyes are blue. I'm not sure what colour Ian's were but if they were blue too its all good!
Deep down beneath your feet he watches and waits...
~CreeP~
As a J.Division fan I was aprehensive about who would be chosen to play Curtis. I too think Harris did a splendid job of capturing the quietness of the character that was incredibly released whilst performing. I don't think he looked all that much like Ian, but his performance made up for that.
(By the way, if anyone has seen American Pie, compare the faces of the bloke who plays Finch to Ian Curtis...sorry to say, but it's remarkable.)
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I thought he did a good job, although he looked more like Matthew Bellamy from Muse than Ian Curtis.
shareI think Tom Hardy (Scenes of a Sexual Nature) has much more of the physical essence of Curtis about him than either Law or Sean Harris.
Having seen Joy Division back in 79 (just thought I'd throw that in) I thought Harris caught the mannerisms and the feel of the guy quite well, but not quite his outright scariness. Watching Curtis live was a seriously unnerving experience.
Hooky had a real air of menace about him as well, that Ralf Little stood no chance of imitating successfully.
I used to want to change the world. Now I just want to leave the room with a little dignity.
Yeah I thought it was bizarre that Ralf Little played Hooky that didn't make any sense.
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