I've been a fan of The Clash since 1977 but have been slow to see "The Future is Unwritten," a 2007 Julien Temple documentary about Clash frontman Joe Strummer.
I've never taken to Temple's style of filmmaking but did marvel at the depth of old footage he was able to unearth as well as honest, heartfelt interviews about a man who was strong on the outside but seemingly weak and sometimes puny inside.
As any Clash fan can tell you, the live takes are proof they blew pretty much all of their peers off the stage. Even U2's Bono, he of ginormous ego, bows in respect.
But Temple can be maddening at times. The film looks great, but why, oh why, does Temple refuse to ID the people sharing intimate details of their relationship with Strummer? Yeah, we know Bono, Scorcese, Cusack. But how many people would easily recognize Roland Gift or most of the women interviewed after all these years?
Regardless, for Clash fans, this is a must see. For music fans, the movie is worth the two hours. For anyone else, it's a nice tribute to a rock legend who helped to shape a generation, only to die way too young.