Film Reviews

Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten

• Rating:
• Director: Julien Temple.
• Starring: Joe Strummer, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Don Letts.
• Details: UK / 123mins (15A).

The future should be a lot more interesting if one was to be honest about Julien Temple's latest documentary. Lacking the incendiary nature of his earlier and near-perfect documentary on The Sex Pistols, The Filth And The Fury, Temple's latest outing is a rather tame affair and is a celebration of Strummer's career, instead of a critical analysis. Temple, in fairness to him, shows us both sides of Strummer's persona - the driven, politically-minded musician who never tried to raise himself above his fanbase, and the man who would cut off a close friend because heshe wouldn't fit in with the ethos of the band. Splicing together footage of BBC's '1984' and 'Animal Farm' with footage of Joe as a child, in the studio with The Clash and an array of talking heads sitting around a campfire, The Future Is Unwritten attempts to break up its 'one note' approach. Stitched together with a voiceover from Strummer himself (which was taken from his BBC radio program), Temple tries to keep the pace moving, interviewing former band members, musicians (including the inevitable appearance of Bono) and friends, while A-list fans like Steve Buscemi, Johnny Depp, Matt Dillon and John Cusack all contribute too, albeit in a somewhat fleeting fashion.

Review by Gavin Burke