dir. Martin Scorsesefeat. The Rolling Stones
As an avid rock fan and concert goer, let me start by noting that I'm not a fan of the concert film in general. They leave me dry, lacking the electric energy of a live show, instead falling into loops of redundant camera moves and rapid fire editing. Unfortunately, Shine A Light is no different. After a short, often silly, introduction that seems eager to let the audience know how hard it is to make a concert film as well as showcase Bill and Hillary Clinton (as well as Hil's Mom), the show kicks off with Jumpin' Jack Flash, quickly followed by Shattered. The second song seems to indicate the state of Mick Jagger's singing ability at this late date, losing all of the nuance of that song in its tale of a distressed rocker just barely holding it all together. Mick rattles through the cliff notes version of both songs, hitting key words and occasional lines but spending more time thrashing and pumping his arms than trying to recreate those songs as actual songs. The editing is jumpy and deliberate, perhaps as a substitute for Scorsese being able to yell, "Action, Action, Action!"
Don't get me wrong. Mick is a powerhouse of energy out there on the stage and is charmingly spastic as he rouses the crowd. But the repetitive skyward lunges, shakes of those skeleton hips and lurches toward the front of the stage fall into a cycle that lulls one adrift, a result only emphasized by the very refreshing feeling accompanied by all of the guest appearances and the eventual centerstage moment for Keith. While it's a little funny that Jack White (White Stripes, Raconteurs) isn't brought out to blow the doors off the Beacon Theater, it shows some rather sharp attention (by Scorsese or the Stones, I'm not sure) that they bring him around for Loving Cup, a rather tender song, fitting with his more playful tunes of childhood innocence from the Stripes recordings. And anyone wishing to excuse Mick and the boys on account of age, just pay attention to the precise guitar work and resoundingly powerful vocals of Buddy Guy who shows up the gang at the ripe old age of 70 when he joins them for Champagne & Reefer. Christina Aguilera, though looking and sounding a bit like the Max Factor Presents Pop Diva of the Moment, does bring some youth and beauty to the gang for her stint on Live With Me.
On another note, the soundtrack is infuriating, a mix driven by narrative film logic, with the guitar rising in the mix only when the guitar is onscreen. This rise and fall of picture-featured elements continues throughout the film. It sounds nothing like a concert. Mick's vocals are heavily favored and too cleanly edited, without any of that live quality that makes for great concert recordings.
All gripes aside, there a number of beautiful passages, mainly of Keith with that loose swagger and dreamy grin, showing how much he loves what he does, particularly when he gets to show off his creaky but lovely voice on You Got the Silver. But maybe best of all, there is a gorgeous moment when Buddy Guy is jamming with Ron and Keith, all three smiling from ear to eary while Mick impressively plays the harmonica, old dogs doing old tricks and loving every minute.
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