Martin Scorsese
Mick Jagger
Ronnie Wood
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Release date: 11/04/08
Running Time: 2hr 02mins
The first thing to be said about this film is that it is ear-piercingly
loud, so, just like any real gig then. The next thing to be said is that
this is a fine concert film, until the gig starts. Scorsese, doing his best
Woody Allen impression, is driven demented by the Stones' refusal to give
him a set-list until the last possible moment, making it impossible for him
to plan his shots… This sequence, shot in black and white, is endearing and
funny and is lamentably ended when Bill Clinton introduces the Stones who
roar on stage to 'Jumping Jack Flash'. Then they play 3 songs you'll never
have heard of but then Jack White appears as a guest, hurrah! And sings a
duet on a terrible song you'll never have heard of, hum. But wait, 'As Tears Go By', it'll just be hits for the rest of the gig right?
Sadly it won't. It is a full 90 minutes into the film before the first recognisable song
since 'As Tears Go By' appears and it is the sublime 'Sympathy for the Devil'.
It is miserably followed up by a duet with Christian Aguilera before the
Stones exit on 'Start Me Up'. They then encore with 'Brown Sugar' and
'Satisfaction' before leaving the building, allowing Scorsese a very silly
CGI aerial swoop up from the theatre to observe his beloved NYC. The title
track 'Shine a Light' appears as the soundtrack for the closing credits.
This film is wretched beyond belief because the Stones set-list aggressively
ignores their hits. Instead we are trapped in utter boredom, unable to
wander off for a pint as you do at real gigs when the band gets obscurantist.
Boredom is a dangerous thing, which makes you ask bothersome questions.
Is Keith Richards wearing a Pirates of the Caribbean badge while modelling homeless chic? Why is the front row entirely made up of Aryan buxom blondes? How does poor old Charlie Watts, the most grounded of the Stones, put up with the others? Could Mick Jagger look anymore of an idiot buzzing about the stage like a demented fly when he's pushing 65? Why does Jagger persist in trying to sound like a black Southern blues singer when guest Buddy Guy shows just how brittle his affectation really is? Would backing singer Lisa Fischer win the cleavage of the year award if TV3's much missed Popcorn was still running? Why can I only hear the saxophones amidst the general feedback and amplification? Is Richards' guitar even plugged in?!
Scorsese intercuts the gig with absorbing snippets of TV footage of the
Stones over the years. Not the smartest of moves though as the gig is so
boring that by the end you begin to think you've been sitting in the
cinema since the late 1960s….
Fergal Casey
