Review: I have to admit, I’m young enough to have missed out on the generation of great music that helped inspire political activism and revolutionize popular music as we know it. Obviously, this means I missed the 60s, but it also goes so far as to say I missed the evolution of the Clash and its outspoken vocalist Joe Strummer. Admitting this sad personal fault, I was forced to walk into Julien Temple’s documentary without the slightest knowledge of what to expect. I was a blank slate. And let me tell you, I’ve never been more happy to be tabula rasa. About 30 seconds into Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, I was forced to grip my armrests and witness the raw power of Strummer singing White Riot – thus starting down the roller coaster thrill ride that this documentary was. Few documentaries (or films for that matter) have caught me off guard so much as Temple’s work and I’ve been tooting its horn ever since. There are very few things that you can find fault with here. Temple interviews everyone (literally everyone) that has been impacted by Strummer, and the interviews are not warped in a specific direction. If a person hated something the controversial singer did, it was documented, giving the audiences an in-depth and broad sweeping analysis of the punk rock legend. My personal favorite interview is with Bono, who in essence reveals how Strummer inspired him and others to use music to express political ideals (and we all know Bono is one of the most politically active musicians of our time). Interviews are fine and well, but I know everyone wants to know about the music, and let me tell you, it’s amazing. It not only drives the film but also highlights and accentuates certain themes and moods. Temple truly uses the knowledge of past music videos and music biographies to develop a great documentary and the only thing that surpasses the music is the animations. I have to admit, Morgan Spurlock may have some strong competition for best use of animation in a documentary, though I’m sure he doesn’t mind the rivalry that I’m forcing. Ultimately this is one of the best documentaries of 2007. It’s fun, well paced and detailed. It may not be the best resource for your Clash knowledge, but it will certainly give you plenty to talk about with your friends, and if you ever wanted to be inspired by punk rock music, then you’ll definitely want to catch Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 5- detailed, honest and well informed Entertainment: 4- a few hiccups toward the end don’t truly ruin an otherwise well paced film Technical: 5- perfect blend of music, animations, archival footage and interviews to create a near masterpiece. Overall: 4.5- from the second Strummer appears and demands to be known as a “punk warlord,” you know this will be the ride of your life.
 
Format: Theater Year: 2007 Running Time: 124 Min Distributor: IFC Films Producer: Anna Campeau, Alan Moloney and Amanda Temple Director: Julien Temple Date Reviewed: 11-12-2007 Story: Joe Strummer, late lead singer of legendary punk-rock band The Clash, narrates this documentary of his own life through collected interviews and tapes from his BBC radio show. From Strummer's childhood to his later days playing with the Mescaleros, this film features rare footage of the rock hero. Interviewees include Strummer fans Bono, Johnny Depp, John Cusack and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (NetFlix).