Berlin has been an inspiration for rockers for decades now – the city's morbid past and gritty feel inspiring everybody from David Bowie to U2. Tinseltown it definitely is not.

Lou Reed got a whole album out of it – labelling his third release after the then divided German city. The 1973 offering disappointed fans but has since enjoyed a renaissance, culminating in the above concert picture, filmed live in New York in late 2006.

It certainly gets off to a slow start with a couple of songs which highlight some of Reed's lyrical crudeness. 'Men of Good Fortune' is truly awful – a kind of adolescent effort which might be authored by a million pretentious teens which thankfully never normally sees the light of day.

Indeed the film limps along as the wrinkly rockers crank it out aided and abetted by an orchestra, adult and children's choir and even a conductor with Berlin written on his coat tails.

Frankly it was all a bit Spinal Tap until Reed hits his stride about a third of the way in. Suddenly it all seems to come together with 'How Do You Think It Feels'. From that point on there is scarcely a duff moment.

Certainly it's a no frills effort visually, as stark as the city itself.

Various shots of the band and backing musicians and the occasionally grainy bit of footage featuring a beautiful but troubled German Fraulien mucking about, beamed onto the wall behind the band.

Reed isn't one for making speeches about what the songs all mean. After a quick pause to switch custom-made guitars, it's back to work.

The lyrics are equally stark – centred around the decline of a drug-addicted couple Caroline and Jim, amid domestic violence and social workers sweeping to take away their kid.

But the music works, after initial awkwardness the classical musicians and rockers combine with great effect and power to a rousing climax with the jukebox favourite 'Sweet Jane'.

Then, with now customary bluntness, director Julian Schnabel (pictured) pulls the plug.

By then most music fans will have been happy to admit that Reed in his prime is a real talent.

But as a night out at the cinema I think the audience would have been better served with at least some context to put it in, some insight into Reed's thought processes behind the work, particularly as, at 81 minutes, the film is hardly long.

Berlin will be shown tomorrow at 3.45 p.m. at Southside Theatre.