Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

I as many others have never heard of Rodriguez. So at first I thought about this being one of those documentaries where it's actually a fictional film. Or at least leaves the possibility of it not being "real". But as I've googled after watching it (but also during watching the movie it became apparent), this is a real musician, that made an impact on people.It's a strange documentary and even though you may not know the man, you will become accustomed to him. If you actually care for documentaries that is of course. It's very well structured and you get a nice search for the guy. The music is also very nice. Never heard one of those songs, but I reckon some will look for them after having a listen to them. It's heartfelt overall, so if you are not a cynic, you will enjoy this

I approached this documentary from a point of view of complete ignorance about its subject, prompted by having listened to "Lifestyles" on an internet radio. I understand that it tends to eschew some facts to deliver what is at the end of the day a heartwarming fable. Truth is, I would have probably liked more something more warts-and-all, but the film really works. It's true that it's frustrating how the investigations about the "money trail" are cut short, but clearly it fell through the cracks and maybe the details of how it did fell aren't so important. It emerges clearly how South Africa was relatively isolated and remote seen from America, and how in this isolation mythologies had fertile space to grow.It's probably not terribly accomplished as a documentary, but as a feel good movie, with a very consistent and fair tone, and lots of humanity, it's a little masterpiece.

Many people know the names of Michael Jackson, or bands like the Beatles. But very few people will know the name Sixto Rodriguez. He wrote two well received but low selling albums that were only popular in very few places like South Africa. This documentary shows a heartwarming tale about an unknown artist's musical impact on the small population that listened to his music. Music is a unique art form which impacts peoples' lives daily by having the ability to teach someone a new idea while still be entertaining at the same time. This allows it to make positive effects on the world by giving the listeners a good message and help influencing them to possibly help out the world.The director Malik Bendjelloul, puts us through a journey of discovering who Sixto Rodriguez was. This helps you be able to learn who this singer is and what his morals and principles were. Bendjelloul skillfully structures the documentary to make you wonder what happened to this unknown singer. Until finally the search to whatever happens to this singer comes with an unexpected twist. He manages to make you wonder why this man was not popular because his two albums were mostly positive from critics. Could it be from bad luck or another example of the music industry taking advantage of an artist's talent? The only way to find out is by watching it yourself. This documentary does deserve to be seen but not only for its heartwarming tale but ability to show how music can positively change people's worldview.

*Spoiler Alert*The man, the myth, the legend. Searching for Sugar Man depicts the story of Sixto Rodriguez; an expert musician and vocalist, yet most importantly a prominent social advocate. Even from the beginning of the film, his soundtrack is on display as a car winds down a road to a soulful tune. In South Africa his prestige rivals that of The Beatles and Creedence Clearwater Revival for power Vietnam-era music in South Africa, yet why hadn't he been a worldwide phenomenon until recently?Born in Detroit, he grew up in a modest environment that demanded hard work for success. He personified this attitude by working in construction, yet he also lingered around bars at night performing his original music. People were mystified from his anonymity, describing him as a figure that wandered from bar to bar in the downtown area. Nonetheless, the music he produced was lyrically brilliant and stuck the heart of the listener. This caught attention from record labels that wanted to get him out to the masses, yet after a couple attempts at an album it never quite caught on in the United States. Instead, Rodriguez somehow became a star in South Africa during the height of the Apartheid where his songs about humanity and love resonated with listeners. He embodied the resistance to the oppressive government, and the common people of South Africa yearned to know what their idol was up to. This task proved to be difficult as there were no leads to his whereabouts. Stories circulated describing Rodriguez killing himself on stage by lighting himself on fire or putting a gun to his head. His ghastly presence seemed to be factual, until a record store owner named Sugar (after Rodriguez's hit Sugar Man) received information that stated otherwise.Living alone in the downtrodden outskirts of Detroit, Rodriguez had been going on with his daily life long after he tried the music business. He had no idea of this fame in another land, yet Sugar and his colleagues invited him to South Africa to show him what he means to the country. As the ghost of Rodriguez is revived, you will also feel refreshed in this story of a man who unknowingly touched the spirit of millions.