My post-viewing thoughts: 1) Huge in white S. Africa, not S. Africa as a whole. 2) Daughters included but no wife or wives. 3) Why so many shots of him walking? 4) Who were the musicians who played on his recordings? 5) What's his back story? 6) Great lyrics but the music itself is kinda boring. 7) Did it really deserve the Oscar? Solid film but not moreso than the story itself.
If you have a minimum interest in music and great stories, you are definetly going to appreciate this awesome film.
Just seen this film in Barcelona on holiday and it was some time and money really well spent. I felt deeply moved by the story. How a simple man, poet and musician became so popular and famous in South Africa and completely unaware of his own success. Beautiful amazing documentary - Highly recommended.
I think this is one of the best real stories I've heard from 20th century. It's amazing how a documentary could manage to overwhelm us with sorrow and euphoria at the same time. Watching a documentary this great makes me want to weep so fucking hard. Winning an Oscar this year is truly deserving.
Prime example of a doc that has a great subject but is poorly executed. It's interesting to me that people often overlook the filmmaking flaws of docs when they like the subject.Docs have to be held to the same standards. This one's not worthy of the acclaim.
It was a pretty good Documentary but I think with all the hype it's been getting I guess I was just expecting more. I admire Rodriguez and his music from watching this film, yeah I can see that he was/is talented and it is a shame he didn't get the fame that he deserved. First half of the film is pretty great but I found the second half kinda..meh, as you already know what's going to happen. I guess it could have been handled differently, I don't know.
i think i'm biased because i live in detroit and i saw this and i thought how i've probably seen this man or we could of ended up going to same liquor store and never knowing it and i think that's really amazing. i enjoyed his mystery, how he never gave too much away and his beautiful music. i think it was a documentary everyone can watch and learn something different from it.
Well made movie about a truly incredible story. The pacing is good and the movie never outstays its welcome. Shame though that we didn't get to know Rodriguez better since he seems to be a wonderful person. Well worth a watch.
An incredible story (really--if it was scripted it would be too much) about the power of art that has nothing to do with money, consumerism, marketing, corporations, or the cult of personality. Just music and its power to move even people its author perhaps never imagined--his fans, in turn, recognized him as a prophet. Beautiful and humbling.
I originally heard the song "sugar man" on a David Holmes compilation and after that I had a futile search looking for anything else by Rodriguez. I've since been able to listen and appreciate both of his albums partly due to this doc and I hope it gives him a larger audience.
Fairy tales do come true; they could happen to you... if you're young at heart.
Gee, what a great story. Shame the documentary couldn't live up to it.
Deeply moving documentary which speaks to anyone who finds an artist that magically connects with them. The focus, and I would say interest, of this film -and here critics of it as a simple biographical work have a point- is not really on Rodriguez's amazing story, but this connection between mysterious artist and awed recipient. But perhaps the greatest tribute to an artist is to observe their impact on others.
