Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
Joe Strummer - The Future is Unwritten
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Monday, 21, May 2007 02:54
Directed by Julien Temple, in selected cinemas from May 18th, starring Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Don Letts, Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, running time 124 minutes
In a nutshell.
An inspiring, moving and fitting tribute.
What's it all about?
Joe Strummer is one of the most influential figures in musical history. A man who shook off his past to secure his future by side-stepping his middle class roots and becoming a man of the people - a feat he successfully achieved after Bernie Rhodes introduced him to Mick Jones and Paul Simonon and they formed The Clash - he was politically minded, intelligent, intense, spiritual and highly influential.
But when Joe died of a congenital heart defect in 2002 he left a massive void in the hearts and minds of millions, one which will arguably never be filled.
In Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, his friend and acclaimed rockumentary maker Julien Temple (The Filth and the Fury, Glastonbury) eloquently explores the life and times of the punk rock legend in a piece which delves into his triumphs, his failures, his loves and his losses, and of course his music.
Who's in it?
Future. touchingly remembers Joe via archive footage and a multitude of insightful, if slightly rose-tinted, interviews with his bandmates, friends and family members, including Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Don Letts, Johnny Depp, Bono, Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, Matt Dillon, his wife Lucinda and his daughter Lola. And it even features narration by the man himself, courtesy of excerpts from his radio show for the BBC world service, which is particularly apt for a film about a man who was so in love with the idea of spreading a message.
As an example.
American documentary maker: Joe, we're gonna have your name on the screen, would you like anything under your name, would you like Mescalaroes or the Clash, or anything like that?
Joe: I'd like you to write 'Punk Rock Warlord', with Warlord being one word.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
The Future is Unwritten was warmly received at the Sundance Film festival where director Temple was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema - Documentary category. However, this film is best suited to music fans and Arthouse cinemagoers and is thus more likely to win acclaim at independent film ceremonies rather than any glitzy, slightly shallow awards. But then you get the sense that this is really a film for Joe and no-one else, and that Temple really doesn't care what the critics think anyway.
What the others say
"This film brilliantly evokes the spirit of punk's greatest ambassador." - Uncut magazine
"You might not find the God's honest truth here but you will find a film that's authentic and sincere when it could easily have been hagiographic." - Channel 4
So is it any good?
This film's insightful nature and extremely appropriate tone are both directly derived from its thoroughness. For those who don't know anything abut Joe Strummer, and who aren't really fans of his music, Future. may prove to be heavy going. But those who do will recognise this as a cinematic gem which reaffirms everything you ever knew about the rocker, and lets you know a few things that you didn't.
Beginning with a montage of media announcements made at the time of his death and footage of Joe psyching himself up to scream out White Riot, a vitriolic song damning the racism that ran through the 1970s, this film immediately presents two of the most important aspects of Joe Strummer's life - his music, and the ensuing impact he had on the world.
Previously unseen footage, including shots of Joe as a boy with his family, adds a huge degree of depth to the documentary and despite the grainy quality of much of the live, mainly black and white shots of Joe performing with The Clash, this simply emphasises the do-it-yourself ethic of the punk rock music that the band played and the raw energy that went with it.
The impact of the talking heads is marred slightly by Temple's decision not to tell the audience the names of the contributors, which by the end of the film becomes extremely irritating. However, this can be forgiven for the warm, genuine and often humorous nature of the interviewees who are fittingly filmed sitting around campfires - a big love of Joe's after he re-embraced hippydom.
A succinct and detailed portrayal of Joe, this film devotes equal amounts of time to each part of his life, including his musical career after The Clash and fatherhood. Moreover it delves into his flaws, recalling how he would sleep with someone else's girlfriend, and how he felt it necessary to completely cut off his art school mates when he wanted to be in a punk band. It's a journey though his life, narrated by him, with music picked by him, and one which sweeps the audience along with it. By the end you will feel that you know the man whose real name was John Mellor, and you won't be able to stop yourself from loving him.
But the important thing to remember when watching Future. is that it is not a film about The Clash. As much as it tries to be a film about Joe the man, it is ultimately a film about Joe the musician. And a damn good one he was too.
8/10
Laura Topp