Light shining on them from every possible angle, the Stones could not hide their age signs at all, but that probably was the whole point of the extreme close-up shooting.

But who checked out, with a critical eye, Mick’s cheekbones or Richards’ bony hands?

The movie is all about warmth, emotion and passion, and not about some old guys, desperate to prove they still rock. There certainly was no need for them to struggle in showing their energy and young spirits, it all came naturally.

The highly anticipated rock documentary was worth all the excitement it raised among the fans that were impatiently waiting for its opening ever since Scorsese announced his intention to film the rock band in a special concert.

The director of “The Last Waltz” certainly was inspired when he convinced the band not to shoot a phenomenal concert filmed with about 50 cameras, with a public of 1 million people on the beach of Rio de Janeiro. He knew exactly what he had in mind, and that huge concert did not suit his vision. So he decided to capture the band in a much more intimate manner, inside the grand old 2,800-seat Beacon Theater on Broadway, using plenty of close-ups.

If Scorsese had agreed to the Stones’ idea, probably much of the emotion and great lighting would have been lost, as there’s no way he could have focused on the legendary band, with such a huge roaring audience around and the usual fireworks that are present at all their concerts. Without the usual show tricks, the Stones had to charm the public using only their talent and charisma. But that was not too difficult for them, exactly as Scorsese had expected.

Even though they mostly lived their lives on stage, due to this documentary one can finally see the old rockers as human beings, whom one can actually talk to and laugh with. The stage performance makes you want to dance frantically with them, while the cuts from old interviews warm and amuse you. In any case, one has no chance to remain indifferent while watching the film.

Not to be neglected are the performances of Jack White, who joins the band for “Loving Cup,” blues legend Buddy Guy, and Christina Aguilera, who energetically rocks out on the stage with Jagger during the song “Live With Me.”

All in all, a beautiful blend of music, lighting and images that remains inside you for a long time, even if you’re not a fan of the Rolling Stones.