Shine a Light (Martin Scorsese, 2008)

[dave41n]

I am afraid your very right that the back stage stuff was much more interesting. Now if only the backstage stuff had lasted more then 20 minutes...

Yeah, I felt this way too. However, the Buddy Guy appearance was probably my favorite moment of the film -- the film goes to another place at that point. It's quite remarkable. And even in the few minutes that bracket his appearance something happens (hard to articulate). For me, it's the centerpiece of the film and it radiates.

I should also note that I was pretty unfamiliar with Guy heading into the film, didn't know he was in the film, and therefore wasn't at all anticipating his appearance. All that considered, it had quite an effect on me. The film is worth seeing if only for that set piece. The close-up of Guy at the mic moved me beyond measure.

[Tom Hagen]

Saw this last night. As much as I liked the backstage stuff, I am glad that they limited it because it kept the focus on the music instead of on Marty himself. (Or on the Clintons for that matter, whose appearance promted more than one audible sigh in my theatre.) The photography and sound are as excellent as I had hoped, and it is certainly worth seeing in a theatre for anyone with any interest at all in the Stones. I was most surprised at how good the Stones are at this late stage in their careers. Of course, one can say the same of Marty or Maysles, I suppose.