SHINE A LIGHT (2007)

by Dave White

Who's in It: The Rolling Stones, Christina Aguilera, Buddy Guy, Jack White

The Basics: The Rolling Stones perform in New York while Martin Scorsese and a lot of big-deal cinematographers turn the cameras on them. So it's kind of like the Beastie Boys concert movie Awesome, I F---ing Shot That!, minus the smartasses who thought it'd be cool to videotape themselves peeing in the restroom during the boring songs.

What's the Deal? The Rolling Stones don't need my permission to keep touring into their sixties, their seventies, their eighties or even their nineties, if they all live that long. And Scorsese is allowed to indulge his obsessions until he's equally old. But I don't have to pretend to have a good time looking at it. This has nothing to do with my not being a fan; I am. I just don't think they've made any good music since the early '80s. And I've already seen the amazing Gimme Shelter. So why, other than the thrill of looking at Keith Richards' stunningly wrecked face in IMAX, would I want to watch this one instead of that one, even on a generous day?

What's Weird: Watching Jagger and Richards spiritually transform themselves into 20-year-olds for the duration of the show. Because in spite of being older than my mom and having voluntarily erased more of their own brains than most human beings can do and not die from the toxic effects of it all, they somehow can tap right into their youthful selves and almost make you forget that it all really happened 40 years ago. Also strange: watching the Clintons (wow, how did they get tickets?) try to groove to the music; watching Jack White do anything.

Who's Kind of Awesome: The tiny amount of vintage interview footage, where the band seems to not care one bit about answering questions. Also, Christina Aguilera. You forget sometimes, amidst all the videos of her wrestling in chaps shouting about how "Dirty" she is, that she's a really good singer.

Besides Gimmer Shelter, What You Should See Instead: Scorsese's The Last Waltz.

CRITICS' REVIEWS SOURCE RATING THE GIST POSITIVE REVIEWS FOR SHINE A LIGHT Chicago Tribune 3½ stars/4 "… who needs an excuse for a party? This one's a lot of fun." Entertainment Weekly B+ "… a crackling concert movie …" Los Angeles Times N/A "… by the time it's all over, we are thoroughly entertained." New York Times N/A "… there is ample evidence that rock 'n' roll may hold the secret of eternal vitality, if not eternal beauty." Rolling Stone 3½ stars/4 "… the Stones defy you to wave them off." TV Guide 3 stars/4 "… a vivid record of the aging rockers' ability to put on a great show …" USA Today 3½ stars/4 "… less a nostalgia trip than a survival story." Variety N/A "… an invigorating musical trip down memory lane …" MIXED REVIEWS FOR SHINE A LIGHT Hollywood Reporter N/A "… simply another in a long line of Rolling Stones concert films." Village Voice N/A "… a vanity project for everyone involved …"