"Light" me up

Saw "Shine a Light," the Martin Scorsese Rolling Stones concert film last night. Anne has already written about it so I'll keep this short.

Me, I loved it. However, I saw it in Imax and I found myself thinking that I really don't want to know that much about Mick Jagger's dental work. In fact, I really didn't want to see the inside of his mouth at all -- not at that size, anway. Too much information. It actually took me out of the movie.

Which is, in fact, an ongoing issue with the whole Imax format. Every pore, every blemish, every crow's-foot suddenly looks enormous. It's a great thing if you're in the digital cosmetic enhancement business (and it's already a bigger business than most people realize). HDTV is raising the same issues for TV stars.

That said, I found "Shine A Light" thrilling. I've seen the Stones in concert at the Rose Bowl and Mick Jagger's heat-lightning energy is evident even at from the far end zone. But seeing Keith Richards this intimately is a revelation. If ever a man loved doing what he does, it's Richards. And no one ever looked happier doing it. (D. Cohen)