shine a light

If there's a Viagra for the ego, Mick Jagger's taking it. Shine a Light, Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese's concert doc on the Rolling Stones, gives audiences yet another reason to idolize these gods of rock. Having overcome addiction, divorce and anything taboo, it is clear that everlasting stardom was in store for these classic rock rebels ever since Jagger and Richards' days as primary school classmates. With Shine a Light, Scorsese reminds us just how mind-blowing the boys continue to be.

From "Jumpin' Jack Flash" in Mean Streets to his use of "Gimme Shelter" in both Goodfellas and The Departed, Scorsese has looked to the music of the Rolling Stones as inspiration for his films since the beginning of his career. Thus, with this knowledge and the success of past Scorsese documentaries, such as No Direction Home, a chronicle of the life of Bob Dylan, and The Last Waltz, a film account of the final concert of The Band, it is clear that a film like Shine a Light has always been on his agenda.

Named after the song on their 1972 album Exile on Main Street, Shine a Light is first and foremost a concert film. Scorsese has masterfully juxtaposed the youthful cheek of several early Stones interviews with up-close and personal footage from two performances on the band's 2005 Bigger Bang tour. To achieve this, some 17 cameras were set up inside New York City's Beacon Theater, and the rest was left to Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie. The result is an exhilarating exposition of the true Stones-in-concert experience and a reminder of just how talented this foursome continues to be, both as musicians and performers.

The 22-song set list includes notorious tracks such as "Brown Sugar", "Tumbling Dice" and "Sympathy for the Devil," as well as collaborations with guest artists such as Jack White, Buddy Guy and, brace yourselves for this one fans, Christina Aguilera. Needles to say, Aguilera, as well as the others, more than hold their own wailing alongside these legends who are, quite literally, disintegrating with every strum of their guitars.

Shine a Light is a true must-see for Stones fans and even the inexcusable euro-techno enthusiasts among us.