London Town (2017)

A second 'goof' was that Shay bought the English version of the Clash first album (green cover) and replayed 'White man in Hammersmith...' repeatedly in his bedroom. This single only appeared on the US release of the album, in the blue cover. Still. It achingly needed to be called London Calling, but I guess the Clash wouldn't allow that. I'd love to know what happened there.The film itself is so full of extreme stereotypes I wondered who it was aimed at. I mean the Clash were very 'marmite' as a band. Clash fans are all 50plus now, and without being a fan and having a bit of knowledge about the band and the Clash's outlook (on life and Rock'n' roll) it would be too fantastical to add up. As a Clash fan, frankly it was barely OK.

I liked this movie more than I thought I would. When I first heard about it my first thought was "why not just watch Rude Boy" if you want to see a great movie about The Clash.As I discovered, this isn't a movie about The Clash and Joe Strummer at all. In fact, they didn't even need to be included. It's really the story of a 15 year old boy who's forced to grow up in a big hurry.Shay lives with his dad and little sister in a suburb of London. He clashes with his father, who owns a piano repair shop and drives a cab to make ends meet. Shay is bullied by other kids in his neighbourhood and dreams of moving to London and living with his mother who ditched her family and is now living in a squat. Shay somehow thinks that his father is a loser and he's the reason his mother took off.Shay's dad, who is actually a good, hardworking man but a bit broken, sends his son off to London to pick up some piano parts and he meets Vivian, a punk girl, on the train. She introduces Shay to the music of The Clash, and when he gets back home at the end of the day, he begins to transform himself into a punk.Shay's dad has an accident moving a piano and is laid up in the hospital for several weeks. This is where the movie gets really interesting. Shay is forced to step up and take care of his little sister. He learns how to drive his dad's cab and does everything he can to try to keep a roof over his little family's head. He goes to London and tracks down his mother who turns out to be a promiscuous, drug and alcoholic abusing wannabe musician who you know will never make it. Eventually, Shay realizes what his mother really is, and that his dad is a good and decent man. Along the way, he meets Joe Strummer. There are actors playing the rest of the band but I don't remember any of them saying a single word in the movie - as I said, this isn't a movie about The Clash. Shay gives Strummer a lift in his cab (while he's dressed as a woman so he looks older), romance blooms with Vivian, and he learns what his father has to deal with every day.Eventually, Shay gets into a tussle with some skinheads at a Clash show and ends up in a jail cell with guess who, Joe Strummer. He discovers that Vivian is actually a rich girl (but a really sweet one) and he breaks it off with her. He ends up back at home, determined to save his father's business and enlists Joe Strummer's help to make it happen (without actually asking Strummer). Again, another appearance by Joe Strummer that's not very realistic and not really necessary - the story stands on its own.I'm a huge fan of The Clash - they've always been my favourite band but I thought their inclusion in the movie was unnecessary. Perhaps it was a marketing ploy to draw Clash and punk fans to the movie. What I found most interesting about this movie was the family dynamic, and one kid's struggle to survive in malaise era England. It's a great story and really well played by all of the actors in a very watchable and entertaining movie.

Every once in a while a little film, with a tiny budget and a whole lot of heart, comes along and knocks you off your feet. London Town fulfills all the aspects of that category. I won't bother to give you a blow by blow description of the story, that's easily found elsewhere. I will tell you I was more than thoroughly entertained and, since it was a 48 hour rental via my VOD system, I took the opportunity to watch it three times because it was just that good! The film is endearing, funny and the performances are stellar, especially the youngsters. Huttlestone is already on his way as a multi-talent, but Nell Williams was a new revelation for me and she shines here. If for no other reason, you need to see this film for the incredibly brilliant work of Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Joe Strummer. He is simply mesmerizing and delivers a musical performance equal to that of any contemporary or historical rock star. (As a veteran of 7 Stones and 14 WHO concerts, I feel justified in that statement.) Derrick Borte managed to assemble a superb group of musicians to portray the rest of the band and the results are magical. London Town is a special film, with something for everyone to love. Don't miss it!

I really liked Jonathan Rhys Meyers in it as Joe Strummer. It was fun to see him play a real lively character as the front man of The Clash.The movie itself is more about how a boy named Shay is influenced by the music of the Clash while going through some hard times. His really hot mom (played by Natascha McElhone) left the family to live the life she wanted, while his father (Played by Dougray Scott), plays the classic stereotype of an adult who forgot what it was like to be young and is shifting too much responsibility on his son. London Town is greatly similar to another Coming-of-Age film, Sing Street (which is a little better), as Shay allows a crush on a punk rock girl to greatly influence his walk down the path of punk, which leads him to meeting Joe Strummer. The film's formula is very direct, and it's focus on punk rock makes it a perfect persona of the early days of the genre. It's a love letter to The Clash any fan would enjoy.