Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

In the same irreverent and non-typical manner he has always put together his documentaries (such as GLASTONBURY and the Sex Pistols doc THE FILTH AND THE FURY), director Julien Temple has structured the interviews in his detailed and quite moving profile of Clash frontman Joe Strummer as a series of campfire chats. Taking his cue from Strummer himself, how used to enjoy sitting around with friends and strangers, talking and playing all night outdoors by the light of a fire, Temple's talking heads feel more like a group of pals sitting around shooting the shit about an old and dear friend, whether the people discussing him had ever met the man or not.

Collecting childhood, art college and other personal friends of Strummer's, alongside members of pre-Clash bands and more famous acquaintances of this complicated soul, THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN is a sometimes frenzied, but still wonderfully structured portrait of a man whose star rose fast, perhaps so fast that he never had a chance to figure out who he really was and what meant something to him. It wasn't until after the Clash broke up that Strummer really took the time to live, act, compose and slowly build up the nerve to record and play live again with a new band.

Temple's assembly of rare film footage of the Clash is remarkable. It seems the band were never without a camera crew of some sort around them. My favorite clip is of the band meeting with director Martin Scorsese as he reveals to them that the feel and pacing for RAGING BULL was meant to feel like a Clash album. Other remembrances include words from the likes of Matt Dillon, Steve Buscemi, the Pistols' Steven Jones, Johnny Depp, Bono, Jim Jarmusch and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But Temple also collects people whose names you wouldn't know (nor would I, since he opts not to identify any of the people giving testimonials about Strummer): old girlfriends, former band mates who were left in the dust when The Clash took off and late-in-life friends who knew little or nothing of Strummer's former glories.

THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN is a fascinating collage of a powerful musician who took a long time to become a good man as well. Even though he's dead, Temple in no way sugarcoats the man's flaws and sometimes cruel behavior. Most importantly, you will come away from this film with a much better sense of who Strummer was, how he dealt with conflict and pain and what inspired him to make so much kick-ass music.

Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com