Searching for Sugar Man
(2012)
Summary
In the early 1970s, Sixto Rodriguez was a Detroit folksinger who had a
short-lived recording career with only two well received but non-selling
albums. Unknown to Rodriguez, his musical story continued in South
Africa where he became a pop music icon and inspiration for generations.
Long rumored there to be dead by suicide, a few fans in the 1990s
decided to seek out the truth of their hero's fate. What follows is a
bizarrely heartening story in which they found far more in their quest
than they ever hoped, while a Detroit construction laborer discovered
that his lost artistic dreams came true after all.
Review
I'm not a huge documentary fan, so I was a little skeptical about this one especially when it seemed to be about two people looking for a Mexican singer, but boy was I wrong. This artist known as Rodriguez was very Bob Dylan-like and his songs are not only very good, but this movie will really draw you in to wanting to know what really happened to this guy. From being a indie artist who bombed and was completely forgotten about in the U.S. to being one of the biggest sensations in South Africa. This movie talks to music producers who worked with and believed in Rodriguez as we explore this artist who sang with his back to the audience, his lyrics, and what really happened. Everything was very speculative, but little was known about Rodriguez before now. His music is played throughout the film and all I can say is that it's a shame that artists like this don't get the recognition that they deserve. Without spoiling anything, this documentary basically shows the ups and downs of a struggling musician and will make you a fan of the artist that for so long was simply known as Rodriguez.
...AND SIMPLY PUT... IS A MUST SEE FOR ANY MUSIC FAN.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A-
Director: Malik Bendjelloul
Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language and some drug references
In Theaters: July 27, 2012 (limited)
On BLU-RAY and DVD: January 22, 2013.
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