F I L M G H O U L

Searching for Sugar Man (Malik Bendjelloul, 2012)

Who is bigger than Bob Dylan, Elvis and the Beatles combined? Cleverly written to play out, as its title indicates, like an investigation of the incredibly obscure and elusive folk singer Sixto Rodriguez (know under that stage name Rodriguez), Searching for Sugar Man is one of the best, most emotionally riveting documentary films I’ve seen - a thriller, a rock doc and moreso an incredible story about an incredible man whose life trajectory is truly greater - and stranger  - than any fiction imaginable. Because the fact that most North Americans are in the dark about Rodriguez is part of the pleasure and impact of the film, I will keep this brief and vague, and rather urge you see this film on your own terms. You will shed tears of admiration, respect and sadness for one of the great unsung heroes of folk music in the 1970s. You will fall and love with the music, the man, the story…and the writer/director/editor, Malik Bendhelloul, who proves immensely talented at crafting a dynamic documentary blending found photography, archival footage, reconstructed footage, astute interviews, animation and stunning moment of cinematic grandness.