Control

i've been waiting for this movie for almost one and a half years now. as an admirer of ray liotta i have been searching the web weekly for new information, and when i saw the possibility to purchase it by a Scandinavian DVD online store, i almost freaked out.

so i finally saw it yesterday evening. luckily i saw the weak action filled trailer recently and did not expect too much. i truly enjoyed the first 30 minutes, following the convicts (liotta) fake death and his introduction to the doctors medical experience program. the beginning creates a very creepy atmosphere, liotta and dafoe play awesome as they always do (despite the boring lighting there are some great close ups of them) and the quick story telling made me hope for a decent thriller like narc or phoenix.

but then the movie turns simply into the wrong direction. the ultimate killer gets unleashed to society after changing to a normal person suddenly. the story focuses on his regrets of his past and his love to theresa (rodriguez), giving the horrible b-movie cast more screen time.

the ending is simply not satisfying and leaves you begging for more. what could have been a deeply psychological thriller which deals about the unique of a mans mind or the value of human live turns out to a everyday thriller.

because of my hero and the terrific beginning i gave it a 7 out of 10, which is more than it deserves

It looks Like "Control" fell through the cracks for a theatrical release. Just because it's Direct To Video, doesn't mean it's awful. It is not. All the performances are first-rate especially Ray Liotta. He does a great job as the reformed killer. Willem Dafoe is his usual good self as the helpful doctor. The weakest point in the movie is the ending. It feels rushed and pat. Besides that, this is a pretty clever movie that is worth checking out."Control" has a near-perfect balance of action,suspense and emotion. Just pretend you didn't see the ending. The scene before that is powerful if a little clichéd.

Hopefully Ray Liotta can be nominated for a DVD Exclusive (An award show that showcases the best in direct to video) Award when the time comes.

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"Control" is a mediocre drama which tells of a violent killer (Liotta) who undergoes a mock execution only to find himself as a test subject for a new drug developed for controlling violent behavior. Liotta is at the vortex of this film with Dafoe as his experiment supervisor, Walker as Dafoe's ex, Robertson as Dafoe's post-doc helper/lover, Rodriguez as Liotta's girlfriend, and Rea in a bit part as the director of the pharmaceutical company. As the film unfolds, it dips and delves into a little action, a tiny bit of romance, a lot of less than subtle drama, and some side plots which never go anywhere. Overall, "Control" is average escapist entertainment for the action/drama junkie which should play best with Liotta and Dafoe fans. (B-)

A killer on death row, his faked death and you are the subject. Presented by brilliant analogy, society's bad habits when it relates to the criminal justice system. Forget the victim? Have mercy on the criminal? Set the criminal free while one vic remains a veggie with a bullet in the brain and the others are pushing daisies? You are trapped from start to finish. We are given all the facts and even made to watch a slow motion scene three times - where the killer shoots an innocent guy in the head - but we quickly forgive all this and sympathize with the criminal. You'll root for the "bad guy", despise the relatives of the victim, loath the guys who want revenge on him for killing their friends, and hope he eludes the team of researchers who decide he really should be dead, after all. You are IN Control.

I just saw this film in a cinema in Bahrain, I think 2 years after it came out, or rather didn't come out in cinemas, as it went straight to DVD. When I think of all the rubbish that gets into the cinema, that's just insulting.

I saw it 'cos of Defoe and Liotta, 2 of the greatest actors in cinema today. Yes, the film had some cheesy moments, but this is still a good film. The acting from Defoe and Liotta is generally excellent, and this is a good story, though it could have done with some better editing. Stephen Rea does a good job as Dafoe's boss, and whilst the ending is a bit predictable, it's a reasonable way to spend 2 hours or so.

The alternative is watching something by Adam Sandler or Ben Stiller, none of which goes straight to video, and shows why the movie business is sometimes the craziest business in the world.

Watch 2 great actors doing what they do best and enjoy that movies like this still get made. It's really quite good.