Shine a Light

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, Martin Scorsese, Jack White, Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera, Bill Clinton (all appearing as themselves)

Dir. Martin Scorsese

This weekend, my better half and I went to a Rolling Stones concert. This is not entirely true – we went to see the movie Shine a Light. But, to be honest, it was probably better than a live concert. Now, I’m not a huge Rolling Stones fan, but even I was swept along by the music, the atmosphere, the dancing. Shine a Light was a fantastically filmed, insightful, entertaining movie about some truly talented and energetic musicians.

Shine a Light was filmed during the Stones’ “A Bigger Bang” tour, specifically the night of a benefit concert hosted by Bill Clinton and his Mrs in New York. Enter, stage right, Marty Scorsese, the original anal, control freak director. Enter, stage left, The Rolling Stones, a laid back bunch, who don’t finalise their set list until the lights go up. The juxtaposition will have you chuckling, and the result is simply great – it’s wonderfully intimate, flawlessly edited, consistently engaging. Along the way we are treated to footage of interviews with the Stones, from their very very very early beginnings, to their thoughts on being aged rockers.

Particular highlights include the guest appearances by Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera, who are obviously thrilled to be part of the gig. In fact my favourite number was White’s duet with Mick on “Loving Cup” – two gritty, wonderful voices. Keith Richards’ solo effort on “You Got the Silver” was also a treat to watch.

Obviously I recommend this film for fans of the Stones. But even if you’re not particularly enamoured, I’d recommend giving it a go. You won’t see a better concert on film.

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Martin Scorsese: We cannot set Mick Jagger on fire.