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This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese sets up a concert film with the Rolling Stones. The guys are performing on their A Bigger Bang Tour. In 2006 over 2 days, they perform at the Beacon Theatre in NYC benefiting the Clinton Foundation and Scorsese captures it. Also joining the boys on stage in small cameos are Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera.The most fascinating part of this movie is Scorsese setting up the performance. It's a black and white section at the start of the movie. It's actually a little funny and we get to see Scorsese at work behind the scenes. The rest is a regular concert film with snippets of old Rolling Stones interviews. It's not a particularly revealing documentary. As a concert film, it's well shoot and great for Rolling Stones fans.

So we're going with something a little different this week. In what is the first non-fiction film I've ever reviewed, Martin Scorsese gets behind the camera to present a part-concert, part- documentary film chronicling two night shows by iconic band The Rolling Stones at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City. Although the original plan was to document highlights of The Stones' A Bigger Bang world tour, Scorsese opted for a more intimate and familiar setting, no doubt giving him a lot more options as far as acoustics and camera stations go.Formed a whole six years before Marty even released his first feature film, The Stones have been amongst the most enduring rock and roll bands in history, and are a perfect match for the Taxi Driver director. Each has aged like a fine wine, displaying invaluable experience in their relative industries with every project they churn out, and never lacking in professionalism or passion for what they do. Approaching seventy years old, front man Mick Jagger has not lost a step. His energetic performance alone keeps you from taking your eyes off the screen for two hours, and he is complemented by the rhythmic brotherhood that is Ronnie Wood and the seemingly immortal Keith Richards. Curiously, drummer Charlie Watts hardly appears on-screen during Shine A Light, which is odd considering his prominence and input in other Stones documentaries, most notably Gimme Shelter.Scorsese's role in this film would best be described as 'overseer', rather than 'director'. Granted, there is only so much one can do with the camera when filming a non-fiction concert as opposed to a narrative, but one does get the impression that Marty took a back seat on this one and allowed The Stones to do their job without the concern of multiple cameras minimising the stage space during the show.That being said, Shine A Light does contain moments of cinematic class, particularly during more energetic songs such as Sympathy For The Devil and Live With Me (a surprisingly excellent duet with Christina Aguilera). The editing of archival footage between songs is scarce, with the live performance itself taking obvious priority. However, it is at a premium during Keith Richards' rendition of You Got The Silver, seamlessly intercutting the song with characteristic responses by the man during interviews conducted in the band's early days.A minor issue of concern relates to the 'fans' in the front row. In what has become a rumour never actually proved, it is clear that the rim of the stage has been lined with young, attractive men and women (some ostensibly decked out in Stones merchandise) who are unlikely to be genuine fans, but rather extras who have been employed to make the final transfer to film look sexier. In a fictional piece, this would be a non-issue, but it is rather distracting in a live concert environment. I'll let you make up your own mind on that one.Is it the defining Stones film? Even with Scorsese at the helm, it dosen't quite match up to Gimme Shelter. But with two such juxtaposed films (Gimme Shelter details an immense free concert the Stones hosted during which four babies were born and four people were killed), Shine A Light dosen't have much to stand on. As an individual piece, however, it is very engaging, more so for die-hard fans of the band, the director, or both.*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on [email protected] and let me know what you thought of my review.*

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.

Okay, so it is Martin Scorsese and it's The Rolling Stones. Both are over 50 and going strong. But it's just a concert film when you get right down to it. Make no mistake, the entire movie is just like being there at a Rolling Stones concert, the difference being you'll have a great sound system, and you can't actually smell the sweat the rockers exude, even though you get to be really up close and personal during their performance, something which even the standing-only front row pit will not allow. I can't honestly say this is good or bad, or sure it is good filming and the Stones rock out but ultimately you'll have to be a fan to see this film. It isn't going to lure any new fans I don't think. Final word, fans should see this movie and save your ticket money for some poor local band just starting out.The posters for the film are all pretty much what one would expect, the same. Again lots of stones, which is what you're find in the film itself. Just an average design, no one really tried very hard on this one.