Joy Division

By Robbie Collin

WHEN routine bites hard and ambitions are low...

And resentment rides high, but emotions won't grow. And we're changing our ways, taking different roads...

Then guff. Guff will tear us apart.

It damn near tears apart this new documentary about Joy Division (apologies to the lyrics of their iconic hit).

It's thanks to the contributions of a right bunch of 24 Hour Pratty People, who reckon some of the best music of the late 70s/early 80s can be slightly improved by jamming it through the pretentious twaddle filter.

People including Paul Morley: "Joy Division reorganised the landscape, the soundscape, the mindscape."

Thankfully the interviews given by members of the band—previously known as Warsaw—such as Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris are much better.

Despite the well-paced storytelling, great visuals and (obviously) brilliant music, the film falls into the long shadow of the recent Ian Curtis biopic Control.

A shame. Because as a stand-alone effort examining what makes a band tick, this is fine work.