Joe Strummer - the Future Is Unwritten

Joe Strummer – The Future is Unwrittem

• Director: Julien Temple
• Based on novel: no
• Cast: no cast as such, just a lot of interviews
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• See above
• Why?  The Clash
• Seen:  16 November 2019

 It starts with news reports of Joe Strummer’s death in 2002 (how can it be so long ago?). Then back to his childhood. He was born in Turkey and moved around the globe with his diplomat father, mother and brother. When he grew older, he was sent to school in Britain (clips of the film If to show what it was like.) He visited his parents in various African countries on holidays. News clips of the 60’s form the background. A lot of it is narrated by Strummer himself, but also friends, now and then, who all make it clear that he was wild, adventurous, talented and impossible to live with. There’s a lot of music (well, duh) and 70’s history and politics (well, duh).

Punk arrives. The Clash is created. Joe Strummer abandons his old life and his old friends.

London Calling. The Clash go global and start falling apart. Drugs, conflicts, ego trips, same old, same old. Exit the Clash. Ten years pass before Joe Strummer has reinvented himself and got that new self together.

It seems to be an honest portrait, not shying away from Strummer’s darker, less admirable sides, while showing his genius and importance to music with a good measure of respect and affection.

Unfortunately, it’s like most celebrity documentaries – chaotic with jumps back and forth in time, short clips of interviews with all and sundry (even Johnny Depp) but it is very interesting. We listened to the first half of London Calling today. The second half awaits us tomorrow.

4 * of 5