Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 74
Fresh: 70 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 8.1/10
Critic Reviews: 24
Fresh: 23 | Rotten: 1
No consensus yet.
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Searching for Sugar Man tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest '70s rock icon who never was. Discovered in a Detroit bar in the late '60s by two celebrated producers struck by his soulful melodies and prophetic lyrics, they recorded an album which they believed would secure his reputation as the greatest recording artist of his generation. In fact, the album bombed and the singer disappeared into obscurity amid rumors of a gruesome on-stage suicide. But a bootleg recording
Jul 27, 2012 Limited
$0.3M
Sony Pictures Classics
All Critics (74) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (4)
An electrifying illustration of music's power to inspire and change lives on both sides of the footlights.
Submitted for your approval: one Sixto Rodriguez, a Mexican-American singer/songwriter whom Rod Serling would surely embrace, in or out of the Twilight Zone.
Beautiful and revelatory, Searching for Sugar Man also incorporates huge chunks of Rodriguez's music.
A rock documentary that goes way behind the music to tell a story that seems pure urban legend.
Here's the rare music documentary in which the narrative is more interesting than the songs.
Bendjelloul mixes modern footage of Detroit with archival and animated images, and the shots of Rodriguez marching through his home turf help viewers understand what makes him tick.
An unexpectedly fresh nonfiction tale that rustles up deep feelings of a life stolen -- part docu-mystery, part uplifting valentine about the universality and resonating power of music.
Generates immediate interest in a forgotten artist, permitting the delicate yet barbed tunes to guide the experience, returning a sense of excitement to a man who unfortunately missed out on the highlights of his career.
It isn't that Searching for Sugar Man's plot developments are gotcha!-like, but this documentary does boast some bowl-you-over reveals best experienced blind.
Ultimately, for Rodriguez, musical redemption transcends the greed and soul-sapping breaks he encountered.
Rodriguez's life story is only part of what makes "Searching for Sugar Man" such a revelation.
The man and his music are worth checking out, even if the movie is not.
Ultimately an ode to Rodriguez's artistic modesty and the power of his music-a rousing crowd-pleaser that asks you to save questions for another film.
A rousing and all-encompassing look at a man who becomes even more of a mystery after we've gotten to know him.
An inspirational, spiritual experience which illustrates how the purity of soul required to produce the finest works is not dependent on material gain.
Fascinating music doc makes you believe the unbelievable.
Through a mix of standard talking-head interviews, animated sequences, and archival footage, Bendjelloul unlocks a mystery, painting a compelling portrait of a hidden rock icon.
A fascinating documentary about a musician where fame aluded him and the mystery that surrounded him. One of my favourites of the year so far.
July 31, 2012Super Reviewer
Searching for Sugar Man. A man getting paid his dues 20 years later in the most magical of ways. Simply remarkable!A musician lighting himself on fire while on stage, committing suicide in the most horrific of ways. A fan's recollection is how Searching for Sugar Man starts.What a story.Sixto Diaz Rodriguez AKA
June 6, 2012Super Reviewer
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