The jury said Sam Riley, 27, who plays Curtis, was "excellent" in the role, along with the rest of the cast. Dutch director Anton Corbijn had to pour his own cash into the film, which also stars Samantha Morton as Curtis`s wife, to ensure its survival. Corbijn plucked Riley from obscurity to play the iconic singer, who suffered from epileptic fits and could not handle the band`s success as his personal life unravelled following an affair.
New Order, the band formed by the surviving members of Joy Division, and Curtis`s widow, collaborated on the project. Shot in black and white, the film has a soundtrack of songs from New Order, David Bowie, the Sex Pistols, the Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop. It is the first feature film for Riley and the director, who is better known as a photographer.
Riley, who enjoyed bit parts in the film 24 Hour Party People and TV`s Law and Order before landing the role of Curtis, actually sings in the role. His former band, rock group 10,000 Things, spent four years with the Polydor record label but, he admits, never "troubled the charts".
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