Director: Shane Meadows.
Featuring: Ian Brown, Gary Mounfield, John Squire, Alan Wren.
Running Time: 97 minutes.
Certificate: 15.
Synopsis: In 2012, after sixteen years apart, iconic band The Stone Roses reformed in a highly unexpected turn of events. Meadows documents their highs and lows as they prepare for homecoming gigs in Manchester’s Heaton Park, in front of 220,000 jubilated fans.
It is clear from the outset this feature documentary is a vanity project for Meadows and an advertising vehicle for The Stone Roses. However, in its defense, THE STONE ROSES: MADE OF STONE makes no bones about it, and never pretends to be anything more than a fan boy following his favourite childhood band from pillar to post, as they strive to recapture the essence of greatness they once possessed.
Meadows breezes through the band’s troubled history and rightly so after BBC documentary ‘Blood On The Turntable’ charted their rise to legendary status in 2004. Instead he focuses primarily on the modern day Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield and Alan ‘Reni’ Wren, as they embark on a media frenzy and troubled warm-up tour, before going home for three epic gigs in Manchester’s Heaton Park. Using a mixture of live and archive footage with interviews from the band and their most ardent fans, Meadows methodically paints a picture of the phenomenon that is The Stone Roses, which reaches far beyond the band itself.
Meadows utilises colour – or the lack thereof – to tell their story effectively, with black and white footage taking precedence, until the crucial scenes of the narrative come into play, for which emphatically vibrant colours are adopted. It is a powerful, surprisingly subtle and well structured tool that allows for a visceral form of storytelling; a form which is ideal for the subject matter.
There is one aspect of the film that disappoints when the inevitable major conflict occurs. Unfortunately, Meadows is left stranded by the four subjects of the film as soon as tempers start to run high and the roses – if you’ll forgive the pun – stop smelling so sweet. This is especially perplexing as the band have always represented themselves as ‘real’ guys who aren’t out to sell a product or make a name for themselves, but simply love to make music and share it with their adoring fans, whatever the journey entails. To his credit, Meadows remains professional, adapting this misadventure to the best of his ability and creating a satisfying conclusion nonetheless.
If you’re a fan of The Stone Roses or Shane Meadows then this film should definitely be a priority. Even if you are not, it is still an intriguing look into the modern day lives of four men who defined a generation’s sound, mood, way of life and ideals.
THE STONE ROSES: MADE OF STONE is released in UK cinemas on June 5th.
