 Tagline: The man, the legend, and no longer a myth. Searching For Sugar Man tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest '70s rock icon who never was. After being discovered in a Detroit bar, Rodriguez's sound struck 2 renowned producers and they signed a recording deal. But when the album bombed, the singer disappeared into obscurity. A bootleg recording found its way into apartheid South Africa and over the next two decades, he became a phenomenon. The film follows the story of two South African fans who set out to find out what really happened to their hero. Storyline: 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. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com) Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on January 11, 2013 -- He was the soundtrack to our lives. --- People like to talk and fantasize about "the lifestyles of the rich and famous." Movie stars, sports heroes, and Rock 'N' Roll icons -- the bulk of whom make up the "celebrity culture" -- are usually the ones in that "rich and famous" spotlight, often roiling in money, and usually surrounded by plenty of people who either feed off the excitement or are looking for a little piece of the action. They're the folks living the dream of fame and fortune, their place in the annals of popular culture usually the result of natural talent and their amassed fortune the fruit of their labors. Theirs is exactly the sort of in-the-spotlight life that so many seek but only a few enjoy. And then there's the obligatory exception to the rule, the talent that fell through the cracks, the star that never shined, the bank account that never filled, the autographs that went unsigned, the movies that were never made, the dramatic home run that was never hit, the record that never went platinum. But what if the fame and notoriety did come but the talent had no idea he or she was famous? What happens when fans don't know their favorite performer and the performer doesn't know he's the favorite of so many fans? It's the ultimate reverse fantasy and the true story of a Detroit singer by the name of Rodriguez, a man whose immense talent was recognized only half a world away and in an era before easy access to information, information that would fill in the fans and enrich the life of the artist. Searching for Sugar Man tells that story of talent appreciated, fame unknown, and diligence and technology's role in making a talent into a belated star. Rodriguez was discovered in late 1960s Detroit, playing with his back to the house but impressing record producers with his singing and songwriting skills that drew comparisons to the greats of his time, namely Bob Dylan. Rodriguez signed a record deal -- even released a couple of LPs -- but drifted into obscurity, staying in Detroit and performing odd jobs to stay afloat. However, his was a very real and tangible success in South Africa where his music not only delighted fans but played a critical role in the battle against apartheid. Unfortunately, he knew nothing of it, and the fans in turn knew nothing of him. Rumors of his death -- even wild-eyed conspiracies about suicide-by-fire in front of a live audience -- spread quickly, as quickly as the government moved to censor his music by scratching out "unacceptable" songs from his LPs. Searching for Sugar Man tells the back story of Rodriguez's music and its place in the political landscape and counter-culture revolution of apartheid South Africa. It's also the story of South African fan Stephen Segerman's search for the truth about Rodriguez and awarding him with the recognition his success commanded. Searching for Sugar Man is nothing short of one of the best documentaries of the past few years, a tremendous success of storytelling and a fascinating look at the life, art, influence, and belated success of one of the 1970s finest but least-recognized musicians. Rodriguez's story as related in Searching for Sugar Man both fascinates and inspires. On one hand, it's amazing to consider "invisible" success in the prism of the modern world and, in it, man's easy access to an almost limitless amount of information with a few clicks and keystrokes. Whereas pen names, stage names, and other identity-obscuring methods are occasionally utilized at the artist's discretion, Rodriguez's lack of recognition was a result of a proverbial "perfect storm" of events: an absence of information; an unexplainable failure to catch on stateside; an almost "accidental" introduction of his music to another corner of the world; and spurring on his "invisible" success, lyrics that inadvertently but powerfully and at the right time in history touched a nation and helped drive a revolution towards greater justice and equality. That brings to mind the idea of the inspiring power of art, which the documentary captures vividly and honestly. The film demonstrates how a lyric can change the world, alter one's perspective, give voice to those in search of one, or at least introduce a new idea or consideration of ideas in an otherwise closed-off mind or society. The film also speaks to the censoring of art and the South African government's "archive of censored material" that contained scratched-out records and marked album jackets that warned of "prohibited" material deemed somehow "inappropriate," which seemed to only further spread Rodriguez's messaging through song and heighten his influence on a society in a time of turmoil and change. It's also a touching story of an humble man who has taken his success as he took his past failures: in stride. Rodriguez still today lives in the same Detroit home even following the flurry of recognition and success that is still the result of his talents, only brought to light by others and a little bit later than most enjoy. Searching for Sugar Man is his story, the story of his musical greatness, recognized late for sure but better than never at all. Still, the film stands apart from others of its kind, in large part because of the fascinating subject material but also for the passion it brings for both the history, the search, and the man in the middle of it all. The filmmakers and interviewees show a love for the artist, a passion for his music, and a knowledge of who he is away from the mystery, beyond the unknown and newfound fame, distanced from the renewed interest and hype and film. Searching for Sugar Man injects the audience into the search, involves them in the interviews, and will fascinate even those with little passion for or only a casual understanding of the music landscape. Even if the lyrics don't resonate and the beats don't entrance, there's something special about the way the movie presents its material, an evident and undeniably infectious rhythm with which it so lovingly embraces the people, the sounds, and the man who unknowingly helped change the course of history from more than 8,000 miles away. Searching for Sugar Man is one of the best films of 2012. Its greatest success stems from its ability convey the true power of the musical art form and the influence it has on lives, the way a penned lyric, a sung vocal, a played note can resonate so far beyond the mind, mouth, or fingers of the artist, outside of the recording studio, and across borders. Of course, there's the main focus, the search for a man once thought dead by spectacle suicide but discovered leading an ordinary life many thousands of miles away from the fans he never knew he had. It's a touching story of belated fame and a very well crafted film that will inspire music lovers and audiences in search of a tremendous human interest story. Sony's Blu-ray release of Searching for Sugar Man features good video and high quality audio. A few quality extras are included. Very highly recommended. Won 1 Oscar. Another 28 wins & 19 nominations. [CSW] -4.8- What a fascinating piece of forgotten American and international history director Malik Bendjelloul has uncovered. A Detroit man disappears in 1971 after crafting two brilliant yet unpopular albums. The songs become anthemic to the anti-apartheid movement. But the singer, half a world away in Detroit, never knew. The legend was that this very singer, in one volatile moment, committed suicide while performing on stage. Over 25 years later, two South Africans make it their business to find out what exactly happened to this singer, a man who is bigger than Elvis in their country. And this is the premise of Searching for Sugar Man, a story about a man called Rodriguez and how his music captured the imagination of one oppressed country thousands of miles from his home without him ever knowing it or receiving a dime in residuals. I'm sorry we in the U.S. weren't aware of Rodriguez when he was at his height of writing and recording. The underplayed part of this story was how the recording industry gained from his appeal, though in South Africa, while he was left here in obscurity. A truly prophetic poet, singer and song writer that was truly humble, shy and unassuming, he represents the very best of the poets that inspire us to true greatness. This movie touched me in ways that I thought I had left behind in my youth and occasionally brought tears to my eyes. Do not miss this seeing this film. [V4.0-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box. Cast Notes: Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman (Himself - Record Shop Owner), Dennis Coffey (Himself - Co-Producer, Cold Fact 1970), Mike Theodore (Himself - Co-Producer, Cold Fact 1970), Dan DiMaggio (Himself - Bartender, The Brewery), Jerome Ferretti (Himself - Bricklayer), Steve Rowland (Himself - Producer, Coming from Reality 1971), Willem Möller (Himself - Musician), Craig Bartholomew Strydom (Himself - Music Journalist [as Craig Bartholomew-Strydom]), Ilse Assmann (Herself - Former Apartheid Archivist), Steve M. Harris (Himself - Teal Trutone), Robbie Mann (Himself - RPM Records), Clarence Avant (Himself - Former Chairman of Motown Records), Eva Rodriguez (Herself - Rodriguez's Eldest Daughter), Rodriguez (Himself [as Sixto Rodriguez]), Regan Rodriguez (Herself - Rodriguez's Youngest Daughter). IMDb Rating (10/20/13): 8.1/10 from 24,981 users
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
