Shine a Light (imdb | get tickets)
Got a chance to get a sneak peak at Shine a Light, the new Imax movie about the Rolling Stones, last night and I really recommend it for Stones fans and non-Stones fans alike. The movie is basically a filming of two 2006 Stone’s performances at the Beacon Theater in New York City. It’s directed by Martin Scorcese and is really just a gorgeous piece of film work and the first time I ever really appreciated the Imax experience.
To me, Imax movies tend to be a little gimmicky. All you get is a bigger screen and usually a weird line of sight. For example, 300 in Imax left most viewers staring directly at a pack of digitally enhanced abs. Good for some. Not so fun for me. Shine a Light gets everything right. Clearly, Martin Scorcese understood the effect he wanted to create for the viewer and armed with 16 cameras, he delivers a truly entertaining and awe-inspiring experience. Everything down from the scene cuts timed perfectly with the rhythm of a song to the color drenched shots of the McJagger and Keith Richards to the precisely angled shots from the the audience, conveyed energy, fun, and passion. I found myself so immersed that I almost started clapping after a set of songs and was hard pressed not to get up from my seat and wave my cell phone around when the lights dimmed.
While a lot of credit has to go to Scorcese for putting together such a good documentary, I really have to tip my cap to McJagger and the Stones. They’re so old, yet they’re still going out there giving these upbeat, physically taxing shows. I wasn’t a Rolling Stones fan before this movie, mostly because I had no idea who they were. But, I sure as hell am now. As entertaining and engrossing as this movie was, I’m sure actually being at the Beacon Theater in 2006 was better. Heck, with the guest appearances by Bill Clinton, Buddy Guy, and Christina Aguilera, how could it not have been? It’s one thing to see legends and terrific performers together on screen. It must be jaw dropping to see it live.
Don’t be fooled by this movie’s description of a documentary. There are some very cool and well-timed clips of the Stones doing interviews from years ago, but the movie focuses mostly on the performance and music of the Rolling Stones. The experience feels more like going to a concert than an Imax theater. It’s beautiful, it’s fun, and it’s a celebration of more than just the Rolling Stones, but of the whole culture they’ve spawned. Thoroughly memorable.
5 out of 5 guitar picks thrown into the crowd
Shine a Light opens in Imax theaters nationwide April 4, 2008. Skip the box office lines and buy movie tickets online at Fandango.
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