Review of Shine a Light (2008) by Mayab — 26 Feb 2009

Shine a Light. Boring and totally overrated, just because of the pedigree involved. Scorsese filming a Rolling Stone´s concert, sounds ass kicking, right? Some dope forgot to tell us the show was a benefit hosted by the Clintons, and the Stones have to greet them and please them and their guests, including Hillary´s mom.

Instead of a mosh pit you get yuppies and middleages. The raunchiest member of the audience is holding up a vanity plate, and Scorsese shows him repeatedly like he is a sight to behold. The movie is so boring he probably is.

Meanwhile, Jagger, Richards, Watts and Wood do their thing with all the enthusiasm they can muster in their emasculated situation, politely giving out handshakes and guitar picks to the people in the first row.

Keith even apologizes when he runs out of picks. All the songs sound somehow watered down to fit all tastes, and the movie, visually, can´t be described as visually stunning. It´s not like I want every Rolling Stone´s movie to be like Give me Shelter, or think a gang member should die every once in a while in a concert.

It´s not that I believe every show should be a blow your head experience like it is in NIN´s case, or that every member of the audience should be crowd surfing and smoking pot, but watching the Stones and Scorsese acting their age is does nothing for no one.