Documentary honors legendary band

At a time when he should probably enjoy retirement, Mick Jagger continues to head his band, The Rolling Stones. Now 45 years since the Stones first performed together, the legendary outfit unites with Oscar-winning director and longtime fan Martin Scorsese in “Shine a Light.” As a commemoration of the band’s rich history and a celebration of its recent achievements, the film generally delivers an entertaining, and sometimes artistic, glimpse into the legendary band.

The film was shot over two nights at the beautiful Beacon Theatre in New York City. Employing a team of 10 cinematographers, all either Oscar-winners or nominees, Scorsese aims for intimacy, capturing the supergroup’s spirit expertly.

Already musical giants, the band’s cinematic transformation is colossal thanks to Scorsese’s close-proximity filmmaking.

During the opening moments, Jagger and Scorsese bicker playfully over the order of the set list. Scorsese’s frustration in the scene humorously jabs at the Stones’ reputations as backstage drama queens of sorts, and the shtick syncs well with the rest of the picture, setting the mood for entertainment rather than transcendence.

Viewers may question the film’s relevance, as it finds its place somewhere among a handful of other Stones’ concert films. But when the first bombastic lick of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” blasts through guitarist Keith Richard’s amp, and the Stones strut confidently on stage, none of that really seems to matter.

Of course, the band members’ physical appearance is jarring as ever, but then again the Stones never really wanted to be a testament to aging gracefully. Instead, they’ve attempted to combat the inhibitions of the aging process. Richards now bears a striking resemblance to Skeletor from “Masters of the Universe,” except with wrinkles. Jagger is nearly just as haggard, and drummer Charlie Watts is capable of little more than maintaining a steady rhythm, or pulse for that matter. Although the band has long since lost its dangerous edge, “Light” oozes with all the energy and rock ‘n’ roll voltage that fans expect from the band.

Jagger is the main attraction of every Stones concert. Here, he is the living, beating heart of the film. Frantically racing to and from every inch of the stage, he drains his charisma of every last drop of vitality. Mirroring Jagger’s incessant movement, Scorsese utilizes quick cuts and blitzkrieg editing, all at once feverish and unobtrusive. The frontman’s stage acrobatics may be fascinating to watch, but the fact remains — the audience is listening to songs that it has undoubtedly heard many, many times before. So the film crutches on the bond between the performers rather than the freshness of the musical material.

To help breathe some new life into the Stones’ 40-year-old hits, special guests Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera make appearances on different songs. On “Loving Cup,” White is uniformly solid on slide guitar and vocals, adding a bit of his personal brand of blues to one of his idols’ compilations. Aguilera matches Jagger in pitch and sexuality for “Live with Me,” and Buddy Guy is simply astounding on “Champagne & Reefer.”

The film’s greatest strength lies in Scorsese’s decision to layer concert footage with archival interviews with band members. Black-and-white interviews from the mid ’60s to early ’70s reveal much younger, naïve Stones with lineless faces and high hopes for the future. Similar to what Scorcese did in “The Last Waltz,” the filmmaker’s 1978 concert-documentary about The Band, he manipulates these interviews into a sort of narrative that constitutes the film’s emotional foundation. In one particularly touching scene, a boyish-looking Mick Jagger is asked by an interviewer: “Can you picture yourself at age 60 doing what you do now?” Without hesitation Jagger grins and responds, “Yeah, easily.”

Although somewhat flawed, “Shine a Light” is a visually stunning entertainment. Scorsese succeeds in honoring his beloved Stones, and the film triumphantly paints a band that’s not quite ready to throw in the towel.