Spoiler alert: “Searching for Sugar Man” is a truly inspiring and thoroughly entertaining documentary. The less you know going in, the more you’ll enjoy discovering Mallik Bendjelloul’s fascinating documentary about one of the most enigmatic
If you’ve read this far, you’ve thrown caution to the wind regarding a documentary that’s part mystery-suspense-story and part rock ‘n’ roll legend. In the early ‘70s, Detroit singer/songwriter Rodriguez recorded an album entitled “Cold Fact” that became an enormous hit record in South Africa, where it was coincidentally banned by an Apartheid regime that viewed its songs as incendiary — to say the least. “Cold Fact” might not have made a dent in the States or in Europe, where it should have logically played on radio stations alongside Bob Dylan records, but it did sell more records than Elvis Presley in South Africa. Rumors spread that the album’s mysterious author had committed suicide onstage at the end of a performance. Stories varied about whether Rodriguez had pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head after a performance, or had set himself on fire. One thing was certain, the musical artist known as Rodriguez did not go on to enjoy the huge success and fame his outstanding talents predicted he would achieve. To say anything more would be telling tales out of school. Suffice it to say, if you only see one documentary this year, this is a great one to choose.
Rated PG-13. 85 mins. (A) (Five Stars – out of five/no halves)
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