Sugar Man

This film was by far our favorite at the True/False Film Festival in Columbia Missouri this past spring.

The delights of "Searching for Sugar Man" are revealed along the way, as the story unspools over decades and continents. I BEG YOU to cover your eyes and ears if you happen to see a trailer at your local indie theater - the art of the trailer is apparently a lost one, and most of the surprises are spoiled in the promotion prepared for this film.

The director received a well-earned standing ovation at True/False, and wept - he and other directors said that T/F was the first audience of "real people" to see their respective films, apparently Sundance is peopled with "not real people"?

And be prepared to have the music playing in your head for some time to come.

This is one of the best music docs ever made! The story about Sixto Rodriguez misfortunes and fortunes is almost to good to be true. It's like a fairy tale, only that this is real life. Swedish film maker Malik Bendjelloul treats the story with great respect and construct the film in a way almost like a thriller without a dead second and the end will not leave a single eye dry. Cinematographer Camilla Skagerstrom made an excellent job in creating a beautiful movie and the music (all by Rodriguez)makes a great soundtrack and it is hard to believe that this musical treasure was forgotten for so many years. Not only is this a strong personal portrait of a grate musician but it also makes you wonder about the mechanics of fame, success and the music industry.

I'm going to add my voice such as it is to the chorus of accolades for "Searching For Sugar Man". I loved it. It is indeed an incredible true story about a folk singer named Rodriquez who became a sensation in South Africa while remaining in obscurity in his native US. He's not the first person to be given the boot in his hometown (the Bible has something to say on this subject) but upon listening to the wonderful soundtrack of this film it is a sad commentary. There's plenty of humor here as well in this tale of parallel universes: one in which Rodriquez is Elvis and another where he's scarcely a blip on the radar. The film begins as an investigation by curious fans seeking to learn about the whereabouts of Rodriquez and what may have happened to him. The stories circulating about him are not promising but they are undaunted and continue to search for answers. I think everyone who sees "Searching For Sugar Man" will be thankful that they did.

The Landmark Theatre in West LA is a tough crowd but they were laughing and crying and when it was over they were applauding. This is what movie magic is all about. I wandered in and was blown away. Where can I get the soundtrack?? Holy! Crap!!

Sixto is what Dylan could have been. That's right he's better than Bob. Better writer, better vocalist by tenfold. Unlike The Jester this guy never sold out and walked the talk until the bitter end.

I've always believed the world's best talent goes unrecognized most of the time but the story of Sixto Rodriguez puts that theory into the "true" category once and for all and I will never doubt it again. Please recognize this man's work! Hopefully his daughters will continue to work toward that end both in the USA and South Africa.

This documentary really grows on you. As the story and the search begins, you slowly but surely get caught up in the narrative. For me the amazing part of this journey is the composure and serenity of Rodriguez himself. Despite the lack of recognition in his own country, he continued to lead a rich life filled with hope and creativity. Just looking at his 3 beautiful daughters is testament to this. The sound tracks are really wonderful and take you back to the 60s and 70s. Another interesting facet of this movie is the exploration of the overthrow of Apartheid. Many who embraced the music of Rodriquez were Africaaners who were looking for change and a better life for everyone in their country. You come out of this movie believing in a better world.