Searching for Sugar Man is not a documentary to read about before you see it. And I'm glad I managed to avoid all information in the Swedish media since the premier. So in order to not give way to much of the action, you only get this information, Rodriguez released two albums on American companies 1970-71. Both "sink like a stone" and he laid down his career. A number of years later, his music becomes a huge success in the closed and boycotted South Africa where apartheid ruled. Rodriguez finally sold platinum and was as big as The Beatles in South Africa. But nobody told that to Rodriguez, who was seen as a rebel and inspiration for South African musicians, who opposed Botha's apartheid regime. But they had no idea who Rodrigues was. So two fans decide to find out what happened to their big idol. And it does not seem to have gone According to one rumor he poured gasoline over himself during a performance, and burned up. And according to another rumor, he shot himself in the head at the end of a really bad gig. It really made me sick when I saw the film in a nearly empty theater in Hallstavik (located 10 milesoutside Stockholm), because what causes a person to do something that tragic? And another thing that I was wondering about was where I could find the music. And as it seems right now, when I write this review, you have to buy the movie's soundtrack on CD. It has been removed from Spotify in Sweden

I enjoyed his music but the over production and addition of background instruments ruined it for me. It was like they were trying to turn everything into "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Bands that have covered his songs have created some awesome music. I would love for their to be a compilation album with assorted hard core rockers

"Searching for Technique"*Spoiler Alert*Searching for Sugarman is a technical oriented and mystery driven documentary that delivers knowledge uniquely. It is highly praised, with a message that seems to be highly dramatized to further an agenda. I believe that this film has amazingly executed elements of technical nature but with a repetitive narrative that needed to show more progress. The technical elements are what the filmmakers have placed significant emphasis on, to stylistically interest the viewer. Sound being one of the most emphasized elements, since the film's narrative is about the search for the 70s folk rock musician (Rodriguez). Sound is utilized in many forms, such as with voice- over, layering of sounds, and transitioning through dialogue. The film is structured using an album format, intertwining the music of Rodriguez to deliver a more poignant narrative and utilizing sound exponentially. The visuals are also a clearly emphasized portion of the documentary, with a use of fantastic vistas to immerse the viewer in the setting (even incorporating animation). Since the settings, South Africa and Detroit, are a major portion of the narrative, it seems to be a common trait of the director (Malik Bendjelloul) in this film to focus on technique. Bendjelloul loving the extremity of cinema's technique to strengthen his message as a documentarian.Overall, this documentary is a unique and extreme take on the documentary style, with style placed on par with substance. Placing more unique ways of emphasis compared to other documentary films, and trying to stay entertaining. I would recommend this documentary, although I did not particularly enjoy it for anything more than the technical aspects and the interesting people.3.5/5

***SPOILER ALERT***This documentary, Searching for the Sugar Man, is hands down one of the best documentary I have ever seen. The documentary its self has its own build-up, rising events, plot twist, and a classical Hollywood ending. When watching this film, I felt so involved in the search for the Sugar Man; someone whom I have never heard of. Even though I had never heard of this man I was emotionally attached to his character. The documentary made me curious as to who this mysterious character truly was. I became so intrigued by the Sugar Man, that when Malik Bendjelloul said that Sugar Man killed himself at a concert (still alive), I noticed that I too myself became sad and upset, and till this day forward I cannot explain as to why I felt that way. The documentary takes you on an emotional roller- coaster as Bendjelloul tries to unravel the mystery of the Sugar Man. The scenery and music (Sugar Man's songs) were outstanding that I could truly picture myself being there in that moment while listening to his music. The director did great job when it came to telling the story of the Sugar Man. The way the scenes were put together created a suave flow, making it easy for the viewer to follow the search for the mysterious man. This documentary made me discover an amazing unknown artist in a way that is unusual. When discovering music now a day, people tend to randomly stumble up it by accident. Yet in this documentary, I felt as if I had a deep personal connection with the artist. This documentary was so good because of the impact it left on me. I now listen to his music and want to attend any upcoming concerts. I would certainly recommend watching this documentary.