I've been a stones fan for about 25-30 years now A Relative Newcomer and I've collected over 300 bootleg recordings of live stones concerts during the previous 3 decades. Gimme Shelter is one of the best music documentaries ever. Martin Scorsese is probably the best director America has given us in last 50 years. The Last Waltz was superb, the Scorsese Dylan documentary No Direction Home was a wonderful look at the roots of Americana and folk music and I'm NOT a Dylan fan. So why oh why was this so dull. Reason 1: Special guest audience only, ex-presidents, TV stars, Movie Stars in fact just about anybody who wasn't a true Stones fan was there resulting in a lack of atmosphere for a Rock 'n' Roll concert Reason 2: Mediocre performance by the guys themselves. Reason 3: Vintage footage of their days in the 60s and 70s which I've seen MANY times before. Reason 4: Not exactly "Martys" best work. This post is not a flame, I truly wanted to love this film but it just isn't very good

finally,after three unsuccessful attempts at picking a good movie,my friend and i hit pay dirt,with this Martin Scorsese documentary chronicling a benefit concert by the Rolling Stones in 2006.there is also brief footage of Mick and the gang being interviewed in their earlier days, and some of the answers they give to the interviewer are humorous and ironic.most of the songs the played i had never heard of,but they were all enjoyable.there were quite a few bluesy sounding numbers and a bit of country,and a ballad or two.plus,the gang are visited by three special musical guests(at separate times)who join in the singing.all in all,this was a fast paced,entertaining documentary.for me,Shine a Light is a 7/10

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.

Early in the picture, there's the greatest exchange between director Martin Scorsese and one of his engineers. Talking about the precautions needed with the stage lighting and how hot it might get:Scorsese - "You mean like flames?" Engineer - "He (referring to Mick Jagger) might catch on fire". Scorsese - "We can't do that". I don't know what I got a bigger kick out of, that conversation, or the sight of Bill Clinton getting a hug from Keith Richards. You have to admit, that was pretty bizarre. Now don't take this the wrong way, I've been a Rolling Stones fan right from the get go, but seeing them up close and personal the way they appeared in this concert film, is about the closest you'll ever get to seeing a band of corpses performing live. Sort of on the order of the Crypt Keeper in 'Tales From The Crypt'. Except for Charlie Watts maybe, he looks pretty much like a regular old man. And again, I'm not making fun, just taking liberty considering the fact that I'm not much younger than any of the Stones.But man, that Jagger has energy to spare, and he can pound it out with the best of them. Kind of makes you want to get up out of a comfortable sofa and kick out the jams along with the boys. Every rock number that Mick belts out is raw energy, and when you figure that in forty plus years of performing they must have played "Satisfaction" a few thousand times, it's a blast to hear it like it was fresh and new. I particularly liked the way they mixed their set with a take on a Motown favorite, "Just My Imagination", along with a great bluesy presentation of "Champagne and Reefer" accompanied by the legendary Buddy Guy. It was also cool to hear Jagger reach way back to the early days for a stab at an acoustic version of "As Tears Go By".I was taken aback somewhat the first time an interview clip from the Sixties popped into the picture; hard to imagine that the Stones were ever that impossibly young. Responding to a question about the band's prospects after their first two years of touring, I think you'd have to score Mick's answer as the understatement of the rock era - "I think we're pretty well set up for at least another year". And what keeps Keith Richards going? - "My luck hasn't run out yet". I've never seen The Stones live in concert, but "Shine A Light" is a pretty reasonable substitute. There's no shortage of old favorites and long time fans will know and appreciate every tune. Kind of makes you wish that each performance will set them up for at least another year.