Control (2004)

Perfect cast and a good story

I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Don't listen to the negative reviews

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Severely abused and traumatized as a child, psychopathic Ray Liotta (as Lee Ray Oliver) is executed as an adult, by lethal injection… no, wait… Mr. Liotta wakes up in the care of likewise rough-looking but kindly doctor Willem Dafoe (as Michael Copeland). The hardened criminal is invited to participate in a medical research project; by taking a behavior modifying drug, Liotta will suppress violent tendencies and hopefully bring out remorse. Liotta answers, "I like drugs," but is disappointed when Mr. Dafoe tells him the drug has no narcotic effect. He beats up everybody and tries to escape, but Liotta takes his pills...Liotta proves to be a tough nut to crack, and some feel he is "faking it," but he is eventually deemed ready for the next phase of the experiment. Liotta is given an ankle bracelet, a monitored apartment, and some money to get started. So, what's going on with this dude… the best thing is, you can't really be sure. While Liotta and director Tim Hunter keep it tense and unpredictable, we meet the outside forces. His biggest threat appears to be Tim DeKay (as William "Bill" Caputo), brother of brain-damaged Liotta victim Mark Pickard (as Gary Caputo). Mr. DeKay seems badly in need of Dafoe's behavior modification pills...Liotta's hair and make-up does become distracting, especially during the second half, because this type of character probably wouldn't wear such obvious eyeliner without some explanation. Maybe he was in an '80s hair band... The "life flashes before your eyes" moment and blood drop forming a "chip on your shoulder" are well done. Characterizations are strong...From the beginning, we are given layers of nicely developed and carefully revealed facts about the co-starring characters played by Liotta and Dafoe. After Liotta becomes "Joe Monroe", he meets love interest Michelle Rodriguez (as Teresa), who becomes a believable attraction due to her own "starting over" story. It's also interesting to compare their "crime and punishment" state of affairs with DeKay's vengeful low-life. The four are intertwined nicely by writers Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin with director Tim Hunter. Excellent job, but the final sequences include a too definitive shock for one of the characters.******* Control (12/7/04) Tim Hunter ~ Ray Liotta, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Rodriguez, Tim DeKay

A generally exciting film with a very good cast and a plausible concept. Ray Liotta is a vicious criminal without redeeming characteristics. In lieu of execution, he is offered an opportunity to become involved in a test program for a drug which, it is hoped, will master the evil tendencies of the "test subjects". While the characters are fairly well fleshed-out and the acting is of, at least, an expected level of a few good actors (Ray Liotta, Stephen Rae and a fine Willem Dafoe), most of the rest of the actors are pedestrian in their parts.The action sequences are good, with a couple of exceptional ones. The love stories, although not germane to the main action, are not so intrusive as to off-set the film. The film is virtually done in by a very unsatisfactory, almost "added on" ending. Would have been better without the last scene.

Thought the story of Tim Hunter's Controle, about the reprogramming of a psychopath, is intriguing, this film displays one of the major Hollywood cliché problems. What I am referring to is the fact that the first part of Controle is, without any doubt, the best part. This half is well-written, sometimes visually attractive (f.i. the flashback of Liotta's character shooting an innocent man, followed by a cgi blood drop that falls down on his shoulder) and by far the best acted 'phase' of the movie. This is also the slowest part of the film. The characters and their problems are set and displayed. I was impressed with Liotta's depiction of murderer Lee Ray, who changes, through the experimental drug Anagress, from a killer to a nice, relaxed and friendly person.In a way Dafoe is a miscast. Every scene seems like he's not acting his best and in the most fascinating scenes Liotta simply 'outguns' Dafoe's performance. He makes it look too much like a routine job. I remember he did the same thing in Paul Auster's Lulu on the Bridge (1998). Though he was splendid in Cronenberg's eXistenZ (1999).And now for the second part... The second half of Controle is what I referred to before as a Hollywood problem. The first half can be called a 'psychological drama/thriller', the second part though tries to become a fast-paced 'action flick'. Which could have been great, if the first part hadn't been so fascinating. It almost seems as though Hunter suddenly screams in the middle: "Ok, guys, let's take it to the bank!"The idea of a medicine that would alter our behaviour isn't that refreshing, but the way it is acted and depicted in the first part of the movie is fine. I must admit that I was moved by Liotta apologizing to his victim. That is the power of Liotta's acting in Controle: he actually succeeds in making you feel sorry for him, while you feel detested by the psycho he in the first few scenes.One thing the movie touches nicely, though very Hollywood-esquire, is the philosophy of 'second chance'. Lee Ray is handed a second chance after his death sentence and faked lethal injection. While dieing near the end of the film the flashbacks of his life are different from the ones he experiences in the beginning of the film, during the lethal injection. He dies with guilt, but also with a few (new) good memories of things he DID handle right.Overall Controle is (because of the lacking second part) a mediocre movie. A typical dime-store Hollywood production. But I cannot admit there are some very interesting ideas and performances in it.

It's like when you follow the music of your favorite artist. On the DVD cover was printed 'from the directors of Narc' and it was also with Ray Liotta. So I followed my previous director.I saw Narc,and it was great! This convinced me to hire this DVD,after wandering for an hour in the DVD-shop. Nowadays it's hard to find great movies (new) cause there's so much junk on the market. Ray Liotta is a tough criminal who gets the death penalty. He he gets injections,but awakes in the mortuarium. When everyone is gone,they tell him that he can chose to participate an experiment. They give him pills to control his anger and some metal around his leg,so that they can trace him with GPS. He gets in secret a new life,searches for a job and starts a new life. Then suddenly he gets nightmares about his past kills. He meets the nephew of a guy that he shot in the head and got into coma. This nephew captures him and tries to kill him but he escapes. There is also a team of researches that wants to capture him. Willem Dafoe plays also a great role.Very good movie for todays standard,one for your collection like Narc! Deserves at least 7.5 or 8. I noticed that the best movies have around 6/10 on IMDb. I think because there are too much kids that vote for movies with big budgets and big publicity campains,like war of the worlds,...