Thursday night began with the red carpet ceremony to open the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. One can’t help but notice Hollywood’s influence (press, pomp and circumstance...) on everything. Celebrity is surely the new kingmaker across all cultures.
Martin Scorsese and The Rolling Stones arrived as promised to introduce their opening film, “Shine a Light.” This concert film is not in the official competition and I believe it’s the first time the Berlinale has opened with a documentary.
I won’t have time during the next week to post extensive reviews of the films but I will say that if you like the Rolling Stones then you most certainly will enjoy this film. The bottom line is that this is a two-hour concert film, shot with a multitude of whirring close-up shots of Mick and the boys. And I mean close-up. From their Grand Canyon-like wrinkles to a shot from below that exposes us to all of Mick’s upper dental work. It’s easily 30-minutes too long but you leave your seat with more energy that you when you first sat down as Mick Jagger’s dynamism (how does he move like that at 64 years of age?) is quite contagious.
