Lorna Irvine reviews 'a poignant and absorbing film'.
Nick Hall's film about the late Clash frontman Joe Strummer avoids a conventional narrative, coming on more like a road trip/mystery film than documentary.
In 1997 on Spanish radio, Strummer announced that he had lost his beloved Dodge car in Madrid during a tour. ‘I must have looked seven times,’ he explained in half-Spanish, half-English. A search, involving listeners of the station, friends, fans and journalists began.
Director and co-writer Nick Hall thought that this was an appropriate symbol of a man looking to reconnect with the past and flashes back to 1985 when Strummer and his bandmates, including Mick Jones, fell out and the band imploded for the final time.
Enigmatic imagery and stunning Spanish vistas shot by cinematographer Brian Dentz underpin a study into one of music's most complex and charismatic lead singers, a son of a British diplomat who was interested in injustice, left-wing politics and, of course, Spanish music.
A poignant and absorbing film which will provide interest to those with even a passing interest in Strummer's legacy.
Screening at the CCA Feb 20th and Paisley Arts Centre Feb 28th as part of the Glasgow Film Festival.
RSS