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DVD: Shine a Light (12)

John Walsh
Friday 31 October 2008 01:00 GMT
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"Look at me – I'm shattered," sings Michael Philip Jagger two songs into this thrilling Rolling Stones concert documentary.

No danger of that: Sir Mick (at 65) is a jumping, running, preening, strutting, hip-swivelling, exhausting lurve machine for all two hours of this gig, filmed in 2006 at the Beacon Theatre, New York. Scorsese uses Stones numbers in most of his movies, and to this labour of love he brought six Oscar-winning directors of photography and Robert Tedeschi, who edited the Dylan documentary No Direction Home. The result is a classic, capturing the intensity of these hi-energy pensioners and the pathos of small moments: Keith Richards spitting a lit fag towards the footlights, guest star Jack White's look of adoration as he duets with Jagger, the knackered Charlie Watts after a strenuous "All Down the Line", ancient bluesman Buddy Guy's dazzling smile as he trades guitar licks with Jagger's harmonica, Christina Aguilera bumping and grinding to "Live With Me", a shot of the Stones after their first US tour in 1965, telling the press, po-faced: "It was very enjoyable..." Extras include a fascinating featurette of rehearsal footage and banter – and a lovely moment as a cameraman circles Keith playing the guitar to himself, eyes shut in rapture, while the others are off schmoozing Bill Clinton. A heartening affirmation of the life force, for middle-aged geezers everywhere.

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