If you added up the ages of the Rolling Stones you'd get a rock n roll outfit that's 255 years old. And that's the chief wonder of Martin Scorsese's documentary Shine A Light – that Mick, Keef, Ronnie and Charlie are still alive and rocking harder than ever.
Those expecting an expose on how the boys have survived will be disappointed. There is some funny dramatised footage that has Martin Scorsese nervously trying to plan camera moves. And we do get some very amusing archival clips of the Stones responding to inane interview questions. But this is first and foremost a concert film. And Scorsese covers every angle of the Stones playing two gigs at New York's Beacon Theatre.
Shine a Light features a roll call of classics, including Jumpin Jack Flash and Tumbling Dice, and there are terrific guest appearances from Jack White, Christina Aguilera & Buddy Guy.
Using 16 cameras and amazing editing that emphasises each Jagger strut or Keef riff, Scorsese gives fans the best seats in the house.
At 122 minutes though, non-fans might get a bit twitchy, and some of the tracks, such as Start Me Up and Keith Richards' Connection fall flat. But mostly you'll be spellbound by the Stones.
You'll wonder how they can look like snake-hipped Easter Island statues but still have so much energy and cheeky humour.
With Shine A Light and Indiana Jones in cinemas at the same time, it's enough for me to conclude that 65 is the new 15.
As a concert movie that captures rock aristocracy still crazy after all these years, Shine A Light rates three and a half stars.
