REVIEW - THE STONE ROSES: MADE OF STONE

This one's for the fans. You want a history lesson? You want an expose? You've come to the wrong place, mate. Diehard Stone Roses fan Shane Meadows' documentary on the Mancunian band, reforming for a series of 2012 concerts, is a straight-up tribute to their music, whose influence on the lives of so many was so profound, in a manner that doesn't seem to exist in popular music any more. Devotees of the Stone Roses will likely enjoy the extensive professional footage of rehearsals and gigs, while newcomers will be treated to a taste of their sound and style, and a chance to begin to comprehend what it was that made these four such a phenomenon over twenty years ago. Those newcomers are also offered a glimpse into the band's past, before, during and after their peak around the turn of the '90s, while devotees will be pleased to read that they won't have to spend too long listening to things they already know. Meadows' enthusiasm for the music and his knowledge of cinema combine superbly in the musical scenes, with focus on each band member's contribution enhancing the effect of the songs, and the intangible spirit that is like a fifth player in the ensemble, turning straightforward four-piece Brit-rock into something iconic and magical. But his refusal (literally, at one substantial juncture) to peel back the skin of the band's story and bare the blood and bones beneath is pretty senseless, and the near-total lack of insight makes Made of Stone little more than a highly-elongated concert video. His respect for these guys, a respect that colours him embarrassingly zealous and childlike at times, has stymied him from making the film that they (and their fans) deserve.