Anton Corbijn is returning to the director's chair this week with his new film Life, which sees him team up with both Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan for the very first time.
Anton Corbijn
Corbijn is one of the most exciting filmmakers around and Life will be the four live action feature of his career to date and his first since he enjoyed acclaim with A Most Wanted Man. Corbijn kicked off his career working in the music industry, shooting documentaries, live concerts and album art for the likes of Depeche Mode, U2, and Metallica before making the leap into live action features.
To celebrate the release of Life, we take a look back at Corbijn's great feature films so far.
- Control (2007)
It was back in 2007 when Corbijn made his live action feature film directorial debut with the wonderful music biopic Control. Based on the book Touching from a Distance by Deborah Curtis, the movie followed the rise of Joy Division and Ian Curtis' struggle with epilepsy during this time.
For me, Control was not only one of the best movies of the year, but it was one of the best directorial debuts of all time. Shooting in black and white makes the movie really feel like a work of art and Corbijn has captured the look and the feel of the North West and the music scene at that time.
It is Sam Riley's performance as Ian Curtis in Control that is the film's real driving force. Here is a man who is enjoying UK success, is about to break America and become a true superstar... but he is struggling to keep his epilepsy under control. It is this struggle that leads to his isolation and eventually his demise.
Of course, Control is a celebration of the music of Joy Division and how they managed to achieve so much in such a short space of time, but it is also a look a single man and the turmoil that he faced on a daily basis that blighted that success.
Riley truly gets under the skin of Curtis and beautifully captures his suffering, his uncertainty, and his feeling of loneliness. His performances in the musical numbers are also terrific, but it is in these quieter moments that you really feel the actor's power.
Corbijn was no stranger to the music world with a range of work in this area before he made the leap into features. This experience meant that he avoided the pitfalls of trying to make the movie too flashy with over the top camera angles and so on. Instead he simply shot in black and white and allowed the actors to bring this story to life. What you get, is a movie that a captures the Manchester music scene and tells a story of a great talent that was lost far too early.
Control premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to win five British Independent Film Awards, two Evening Standard British Film Awards and pick up nominations at the Baftas.
- The American (2010)
Corbijn fans has to wait three years before we saw the filmmaker back in the director's chair again, this time he was working with George Clooney on suspense thriller The American. The American was based on the novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth and was adapted for the big screen by Rowan Joffe - who has gone on to pen screenplays for Brighton Rock and Before I Go To Sleep.
The movie saw Clooney take on the title role, an assassin who hides out in the countryside for one last assignment. In the countryside he imagines a life away from death and secrecy... but what will happen when he steps out of the shadows?
The American was nothing like Corbijn had ever tackled before and yet, he created another suspenseful and beautiful looking movie. He really does have a perfect eye for capturing wonderful shots and incorporating the landscape that is around him - the cinematography is just wonderful from start to finish.
There is something quite restrained about this movie and that is one of the major features that sets it apart from other films in this genre. The film's silences are some of the loudest moments and Corbijn is not afraid to keep the pace slow and steady - I think that this works really well.
As well as a great performance from Corbijn behind the camera, Clooney is also terrific in front of the camera as he captures this man of secrets and few words incredibly well - we haven't see Clooney tackle a role like this before.
While The American, didn't quite whip up as much of a storm as Control, it was a great second film for Corbijn and showed him in a very different light as a filmmaker.
- A Most Wanted Man (2014)
It was last year when we saw Corbijn return - a four year wait - as he was at the helm of the adaptation of political thriller A Most Wanted Man. A Most Wanted Man was based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré and had been adapted into a screenplay by Andrew Bovell.
The movie premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was one of the most talked about and acclaimed political thrillers to hit the big screen last year - it really was a terrific film that saw a wonderful cast on great form.
Philip Seymour Hoffman took on the central role and it was to be the last of his movies to be released in his lifetime. The Oscar winning actor was joined on the cast list by Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Grigoriy Dobrygin, and Daniel Bruhl - it was one of the best ensemble casts of last autumn.
From start to finish, A Most Wanted Man was a smart and totally engrossing film as Corbijn became the latest director to show that le Carré's make thoughtful and provocative movies. A Most Wanted Man was the latest film to tackle the war on terror and, for men, it is one of the best movies to take on this subject.
A Most Wanted Man is a movie that is packed with twists and turns and yet Corbijn never loses control of the plot or the end game. Throw in some terrific central performances from the likes of Hoffman, McAdams, and Wright and you have a movie that is beautifully crafted and will have you on the edge of your seat.
Personally, the political thriller is one of my favourite film genres and A Most Wanted Man really is an absorbing story that is packed with suspense and tension - by being a slow-burner, Corbijn really does crank up that tension moment by moment.
A Most Wanted Man was a highlight of the 2014 festival circuit and picked up a whole host of different nominations in Edinburgh, Moscow and at the National Board of Review, USA.
- Life (2015)
Just a year after A Most Wanted Man, Corbijn is back as he returns to the biopic genre with Life, which explores the friendship between Life Magazine photographer Dennis Stock and acting icon James Dean.
Robert Pattinson will take on the role of Stock in the film, while Dane DeHaan is on board as Dean - it will be the first time that these two young actors have worked together. The duo is joined by Joel Edgerton and Oscar winner Ben Kingsley.
Dean is one of the most iconic movie stars of all time but I am looking forward to seeing how Corbijn gets under the skin of this actor and explores who he really was at this time in his life.
The movie chronicles the friendship that develops between Stock and Dean after the photographer is given an assignment to photograph the star. Stock and Dean spend a lot of time together as they travel from Los Angeles to New York to Indiana.
We are going to be treated to quite a few biopic movies over the next couple of months and Life is set to be one that is not to be missed. I am looking forward to seeing just how Corbijn depicts both men and how he captures this friendship. I have been a fan of Corbijn for some time and, for me, it is always exciting when one of his movies is on the horizon.
Life is released 25th September.
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