Control (2007)

Director: Anton Corbijn Cast: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria Lara, Toby Kebbell Country: UK

In his debut feature, Control (an Ian Curtis biopic), Dutch filmmaker/photographer Anton Corbijn applies in film the very same aesthetic he uses in photography. Tediously framing each scene with an artiste’s sharp eye, he becomes the camera—mindful of light and shadows, conscious of actor Sam Riley’s gravity. He is as good a filmmaker as he is a photographer, consistently relying on his camera to convey Riley’s inner turmoil.

Predictably, Control becomes a spitting image of his snapshots—monochromatic, livid, searing. Even at its most mundane, Corbijn’s artistic inclinations shine through.

To steamroll its grim overtones, script writer Matt Greenhalgh peppers Control with brisling wit and humor. Rob Gretton (Toby Kebbell), Joy Division’s brusque, straight-talking manager, gets the lion’s share of Greenhalgh’s wise cracks. With his aviator sunglasses, bushy reggae hair, and abrasive tongue, he always has the last say.

“Where’s my £20?” demands a stand-in.

“In my fuck-off pocket!” he snaps.

Yorkshire actor Toby Kebbell (Match Point, Alexander) downplays his acting and plays it cool—not that Sam Riley (who plays Ian Curtis) has anything to be worried about. The 28-year-old actor (24 Hour Party People) holds his own against Kebbell and, surprisingly, actress Samantha Morton (Deborah Curtis).

The hype surrounding Riley is well-earned—he owns Ian and Ian owns him. From the singing (Riley used his own voice) to the dance moves (the marching and the manic arm waving are oddly nostalgic), he becomes Ian’s suave doppelganger. He’s so good it’s eerie seeing him that way.

Paris, je t’aime (2006)

Directors: Ethan and Joel Coen, Alfonso Cuarón, Walter Salles, Tom Tykwer, and more Cast: Steve Buscemi, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Juliette Binoche, Natalie Portman Country: France

“The Tourist” (Steve Buscemi) is a bug-eyed, middle-aged man with a strong passion for traveling. While in Paris, he finds himself breaking the very rule his guidebook tells him to follow. For his indiscretion, he gets shouted at, insulted, likened to a “cunt,” then beaten black and blue.

A common fixture in Ethan and Joel Coen’s filmography, Buscemi knew what he was getting into. Although Tuileries is barely six minutes long, the Coen Brothers squeezed him dry. It’s well worth his trouble—the 5.52-minute movie became the most applauded, crowd-pleasing segment of Paris, je t’aime: a collection of 18 short films set in France.

Among the movie’s 21 directors, Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) was the first one on board. He shot Faubourg Saint-Denis with Natalie Portman in the lead.

“I’m rehearsing, can’t you see?!” Francine (Portman) screams.

Under Tykwer’s guidance, Portman shrieks, moans, and weeps, reminding us how much we loved her 13 years ago in Léon.

With the film’s fast-paced sequences, one can’t help but compare Faubourg Saint-Denis with Run Lola Run. While it has the latter’s verve and youthful exuberance, Faubourg is more engaging. Volatile and unpredictable, it has the makings of a good thriller. Using shrewd cinematography, fast motion flashbacks, and throbbing techno music, Tykwer proves that he is anything but conventional. Faubourg is a rollercoaster ride: exhausting, but worth sweating over.

Swinging to a different beat is Alexander Payne’s sentimental 14th arrondissement, a comedy about a middle-aged mail-carrier from Denver who spent two years learning French so she could go to Paris and have the time of her life. While in the French capital, she finds herself falling in love—not with a dashing Frenchman—but with Paris itself.

I know exactly how she feels. After screening 18 short films set in the City of Love, I can’t help but feel the same way.