SnoReptilePlenty
Memorable, crazy movie
Ceticultsot
Beautiful, moving film.
Huievest
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
Roland E. Zwick
If the astonishing longevity of The Rolling Stones has taught us anything, it's that rock'n'roll is no longer just a young man's game. In fact, after nearly a half a century of rocking out, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood - all now in their 60s - offer proof positive that youth is indeed just a state of mind.More than twenty years after his seminal rock film "The Last Waltz," director Martin Scorsese turns his cameras on the Stones, recording a concert they performed at the Beacon Theatre in 2006 (as part of their "A Bigger Bang Tour") to benefit The Clinton Foundation (Bill and Hillary are both present at the event and are seen mingling with the fellows in the opening moments of the film). I'd say that at least 70 percent of the film's running time is devoted to the concert itself, with the rest made up of backstage stuff (mainly early on) and footage from interviews the band members gave throughout their career when reporters were (ironically, as it turns out) always predicting the band's demise within a few years - snippets obviously designed to contrast the boys' younger selves with what they look like today. The most humorously prescient moment comes when Dick Cavett asks Jagger, in 1972, if he can envision himself still doing this when he's 60. (Jagger's answer, by the way, is yes).With camera-work that is fluid without calling undue attention to itself, "Shine a Light" is essentially a straight-forward concert film, featuring some of the group's most instantly recognizable standards ("Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Shattered," "Start Me Up," "As Tears Go By," "Brown Sugar," "Satisfaction," etc.) as well as songs that are less well known - a feast for die-hard fans of the band, to be sure, though probably less gratifying for those who aren't. For despite the presence of Scorsese in the director's chair, "Shine a Light" is not really all that remarkable as a piece of film-making, but the sight of a bunch of astoundingly agile sexagenarians strutting their stuff on stage as if they were still in their twenties does give hope and encouragement to the rest of us fighting against our own fast-approaching golden years. It's obvious that these boys - clearly the true survivors of the rock era - are one day going to be taken off the stage feet first, going out doing what they love best. And, if nothing else, the film gets these rock'n'roll legends on the record for future generations to enjoy.
Rindiana
Marty Scorsese made some wonderful music documentaries in the past, but this one's a letdown.The Stones' still noticeable enthusiasm and a solid set list promise a high-calibre performance, and the old pros are doing well, but the oomph is missing.Apart from that, Scorsese's direction is surprisingly pedestrian and unfocused, mixing unimaginatively shot concert footage with bland interviews from the old days and some strangely posed behind-the-scenes glimpses.Still, the music survives... somehow. (Mick's vocal qualities are even worse than usual, though.) 5 out of 10 smoking Keith Richards
grimsbybkk
I've been a stones fan for about 25-30 years now A Relative Newcomer and I've collected over 300 bootleg recordings of live stones concerts during the previous 3 decades. Gimme Shelter is one of the best music documentaries ever. Martin Scorsese is probably the best director America has given us in last 50 years. The Last Waltz was superb, the Scorsese Dylan documentary No Direction Home was a wonderful look at the roots of Americana and folk music and I'm NOT a Dylan fan. So why oh why was this so dull. Reason 1: Special guest audience only, ex-presidents, TV stars, Movie Stars in fact just about anybody who wasn't a true Stones fan was there resulting in a lack of atmosphere for a Rock 'n' Roll concert Reason 2: Mediocre performance by the guys themselves. Reason 3: Vintage footage of their days in the 60s and 70s which I've seen MANY times before. Reason 4: Not exactly "Martys" best work. This post is not a flame, I truly wanted to love this film but it just isn't very good
Samiam3
I have never been much of a Rolling Stones fan myself, but I've learned a few things about them after seeing this solid performance brought to the screen by Marty Scorsese. The fact that Mick Jagger is in better shape at 65 than say half the youths in the western world is astonishing, and as a result his performance gives us satisfaction (pause for laughter). Keith Richards has no right to be alive but there is still enough life left in him to play masterful guitar, and even sing a little. He is the most alien looking human on the planet. If Michael Jackson was still alive, they would be tied. There is not a whole lot more to say, other than a few guest appearances including Jack White of the White Stripes and Christina Aguilera. This show rocks.
