Shine a Light (12A) ***

12:37pm Friday 11th April 2008

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WHILE many rock bands have snatched their 15 minutes of fame then wilted into obscurity or, worse still, attempted to recapture past glories by leaping on the reunion bandwagon, The Rolling Stones have defiantly refused to gather moss for more than 45 years.

Constant run-ins with the law and widely publicised divisions in the band fuelled a reputation as the bad boys of rock 'n' roll, setting them apart from chart rivals The Beatles during the British Invasion of the '60s.

Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese takes a brief respite from the mean streets of New York to celebrate the enduring appeal of The Rolling Stones in this unique concert film.

Shot on 16 cameras in autumn 2006 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, Shine a Light puts the audience in the front row of an electrifying concert.

Every two or three songs, Scorsese cuts away to an obvious array of archive footage.

An early appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show sees the lead singer optimistically decree "I think we're set up pretty well for another year", followed by an excerpt from a 1972 television interview with Dick Cavett.

"Can you picture yourself at the age of 60 doing what you do?" asks the host. "Oh yeah, easily," grins Jagger. Cut straight to more energetic stage posturing at the Beacon Theatre.

If you're not an ardent fan of The Rolling Stones then the lack of many of the big hits will make the two-hour running time feel like a slog.

As they wander off stage to rapturous applause, one of the group seems to mumble "Well, I think that went all right", which seems a fair analysis of Scorsese's film.

• See it at the Odeon