"You mean actual flames?"
"Yes."
"Well, we can't set Mick Jagger on fire."
It would be redundant. Shine a Light starts with these technical conversations between director Martin Scorsese and crew members over how to shoot the Stones' reunion concert at Beacon Hall in New York City. After Mick and Marty argue about cameras and crowd control for about 20 minutes, the documentary portion of this documentary essentially ends.
A stark contrast to Gimme Shelter, Shine a Light is basically a filmed concert. And that's exactly the point: These guys can still rock your socks off. Interspersed are television interviews of individual Stones members from the '70s. When a reporter asks a twentysomething Mick Jagger how much longer he thinks he'll be a rock star, he "gives it about a year." It's a joke on everyone who's ever loved them - including the always-rolling 65-year-old Scorsese himself - and it's such a good one you find yourself dancing in your seat.
At 64, Jagger is sex incarnate. For 100 straight minutes the man thrusts his hips to every Charlie Watts beat like most 19-year-old rap stars could only dream of doing.
The movie itself will have a hard time standing on its own for those of you who aren't die hard fans, but for those who are, it's essential. Even cameos by Bill Clinton, Christina Aguilera and Jack White can't keep up, fading in comparison beneath Keith Richards's constant cloud of smoke.
