Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (2006)

89% of critics liked it
(63 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(7,094 ratings)

Filmmaker Julien Temple takes a look beyond the guise of the late, anti-establishment icon Joe Strummer to offer a warm portrait of the self-described "mouthy little git" who was born John Mellor and was destined to become the frontman for one of the most influential punk bands ever. A complex… More Filmmaker Julien Temple takes a look beyond the guise of the late, anti-establishment icon Joe Strummer to offer a warm portrait of the self-described "mouthy little git" who was born John Mellor and was destined to become the frontman for one of the most influential punk bands ever. A complex figure who would learn to use his gift for music as a means of decompressing his conscience, Strummer is revealed here through unearthed interviews and the illuminating recollections of his closest companions. At times idealistic to a fault, the flawed Clash singer/songwriter had a special gift for compelling listeners to think as they moved to the music. Vintage performance footage and excerpts from Strummer's popular BBC radio program offer the ideal musical backdrop for an affectionate tribute to a punk-rock legend. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Julien Temple
Written By: Julien Temple
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary

In Theaters: Nov 2, 2007 Limited
On DVD: Jul 8, 2008
Studio: IFC First Take

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Julien Temple's film is an energizing work of art, a visually striking and inspiring look at a band that never 'sold out' and the leader who saw to it that they didn't.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Miracle of miracles, a valuable portrait of Strummer manages to emerge from the chaos, helped by the film's one consistent thread: tapes of a BBC World Service radio show he hosted in his final years.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Temple, who chronicled the Sex Pistols...offers the full, sometimes bloated, context of Strummer's life through the testimony of his many friends and collaborators.
Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times
A beautiful, evocative collage composed of concert footage, photographs, interviews and film clips, as well as interviews with people who knew him, the film is a rigorously thorough biography and an impassioned accolade.
David Edelstein, New York Magazine
Temple has plenty of cinematic tricks and willing interview subjects.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Compelling viewing, even for people who don't care a bit for the punk scene.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Lively doc on the late Brit punk rocker guitarist for the Clash.
Emily Blunt, Blunt Review
This offers Strummer fans unlimited access to the man behind the legend. Though it really is for fans - who should run and buy it.
Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly
The big unanswerable question is: Do we wish Strummer would have listened to David Lee Roth's advice that "You don't have to take life so seriously, honey"?
Jim Slotek, Jam! Movies
[Director Julien Temple] stops short of hagiography, while exhaustively positing Strummer as one of the most important cultural figures of the 20th century.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
Temple gets at the heart of Strummer's character, at the unbridled joy that existed within his righteous anger, the satisfaction of knowing he was on the right side of history and hadn't had to sell any part of himself to get there.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
The film is the work of an admirer, but not an uncritical one.
Steve Rose, Guardian [UK]
Temple's film is a fittingly conscientious and absorbing tribute to his complex, contradictory personality.
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
One of the most compelling documentary portraits of a musician yet made.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Michael G

For as much as I love Joe Strummer, for as much as I love The Clash and for as informative as I found Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, this documentary was a pretentious pile of shit about a seemingly unpretentious man. The archive and interviews with Strummer and people who… More
For as much as I love Joe Strummer, for as much as I love The Clash and for as informative as I found Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, this documentary was a pretentious pile of shit about a seemingly unpretentious man. The archive and interviews with Strummer and people who worked with and I don't know, actually KNEW Strummer (like Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Jim Jarmusch, Steve Buscemi, etc) were cool, BUT... who's idea was the hobo camp-style interviews? There's a city behind them so I'm guessing they're not camping. And while we're on the subject of the interviews, why should I give a fuck what Johnny Depp has to say about The Clash? Or The Red Hot Chili Peppers or Bono? Oh, you saw The Clash once? Great, fuck off. And how about Matt Dillon and John Cusack? You hung out with Strummer once? AWESOME, now fuck off! At the same time its essential viewing for even the most fair-weather of Clash fans. There's just a lot of bullshit to wade through...
Daniel P

Unflinching documentary of one of the most important figures in the history of popular music. I found it a little hard to watch for a borderline obsessive Clash fan like myself, as the focus was not just on the magic in a bottle that the band found, but rather on Joe, front to back...… More
Unflinching documentary of one of the most important figures in the history of popular music. I found it a little hard to watch for a borderline obsessive Clash fan like myself, as the focus was not just on the magic in a bottle that the band found, but rather on Joe, front to back... meaning that there was a lot more to learn about his departure from the 101ers, his attempt to keep the Clash going with Mick and Topper gone, and his time in the wilderness before finally starting to make music again with the Mescaleros. And, despite the tinge of iconoclasm, Joe still comes out looking great. The mythology is debunked, and the man is raised up, with the result being an exciting portrait whose true beauty is in its style: Julien Temple is a great documentarian, and he lets this story out in just the right way. A winner.
Stephen M

The only fault I can find with <I>The Future Is Unwritten</I> is that some of Julien Temple's celebrity interviewees are not particularly insightful, seemingly having been selected purely with a view to marketing his film. However, Temple does an impeccable job of… More
The only fault I can find with <I>The Future Is Unwritten</I> is that some of Julien Temple's celebrity interviewees are not particularly insightful, seemingly having been selected purely with a view to marketing his film. However, Temple does an impeccable job of finding a cinematic style to match the urgency of Strummer's music, weaving a dazzling collage -- of stock footage, home movies, film and television excerpts, animations and live performances -- around some excellent interview material. I think those people who bleat about the lack of identifying titles for the talking heads are missing the essential point: to single those people out would be to elevate them above the common (wo)man, which would be the very antithesis of everything Joe Strummer stood for. Temple's decision is absolutely right; in this film, the rich and famous, spurned bandmates, ex-girlfriends and family are communally anonymous! (Many thanks to s.d. for ushering me to my seat!)
Stefanie C

the clash is the music of my youth. with that said, i have seen most clash films and have all the band's music through the years. This is the best documentary in that it humanizes joe throughout his youth, 101ers, the clash and its demise, the wilderness years, and true joy with… More
the clash is the music of my youth. with that said, i have seen most clash films and have all the band's music through the years. This is the best documentary in that it humanizes joe throughout his youth, 101ers, the clash and its demise, the wilderness years, and true joy with the mescaleros. i still need to view the bonus footage for the complete portrait.
Stella D

he tried to change the world and not become a commodity. a great time for fans of the only band that mattered. i just don't understand why there's a pirate in it
Lesley N

I'd have to watch it again to remember why I didn't like it.
William G

A consummate portrait of the Clash and Strummer in particular.
MJS M

This documentary about The Clash?s lead singer debuted at Sundance a couple years ago and then kind of disappeared. I?ve long been a fan of The Clash, in fact I still have a Clash poster up in my bedroom. The problem is that Joe Strummer didn?t really have a wildly interesting life… More
This documentary about The Clash?s lead singer debuted at Sundance a couple years ago and then kind of disappeared. I?ve long been a fan of The Clash, in fact I still have a Clash poster up in my bedroom. The problem is that Joe Strummer didn?t really have a wildly interesting life after he left the band, I probably would have preferred a doc that focused on The Clash. That said, this is pretty well made. They assemble all the interview subjects around a campfire, and that give the whole thing a pretty unique and homey feel.
ken j

A really great documentary on one of the best frontmen around joe strummer of the clash from his birth to his death interviews with almost everyone that knew him this is one of the best documenties ive seen about a musician and any fan of the clash should check this out