8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Documentary following two South African fans of the 1970s musician Rodriguez, as they unravel the mystery of what happened to the singer. Most famous for the classic song 'Sugar Man', Rodriguez never enjoyed much commercial success in his home country, but became a phenomenon in South Africa, where he was considered on a par with Bob Dylan and The Beatles. Rumoured to have committed suicide onstage in the 1970s, his story has been shrouded in mystery for decades. The film follows the fans as they unearth clues, and follow the trail around the world to discover what happened to this mysterious and talented artist.
Starring: Malik Bendjelloul, Rodriguez, Steve Rowland, Clarence Avant, Stephen 'Sugar' SegermanMusic | 100% |
Documentary | 72% |
Biography | 33% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
He was the soundtrack to our lives.
People like to talk and fantasize about "the lifestyles of the rich and famous." Movie stars, sports heroes, and Rock 'N' Roll icons -- the bulk of whom
make up the "celebrity
culture" -- are usually the ones in that "rich and famous"
spotlight, often roiling in money, and usually surrounded by plenty of people who either feed off the excitement or are looking for a little piece of the
action. They're the folks living the dream of fame and fortune, their place in the annals of popular culture usually the result of natural talent and
their amassed fortune the fruit of their
labors. Theirs is exactly the sort of in-the-spotlight life that so many seek but only a few enjoy. And then there's the obligatory exception to the
rule, the
talent that fell through the cracks, the star that never shined, the bank account that never filled, the autographs that went unsigned, the movies
that
were never made, the dramatic home run that was never hit, the record that never went platinum. But what if the fame and notoriety did
come but
the
talent had no idea he or she was famous? What happens when fans don't know their favorite performer and the performer doesn't know he's the
favorite of so many fans? It's the ultimate reverse fantasy and the true story of a Detroit singer by the name of Rodriguez, a man whose immense
talent was recognized only half a world away and in an era before easy access to information, information that would fill in the fans and enrich the
life
of the artist. Searching for Sugar Man tells that story of talent appreciated, fame unknown, and diligence and technology's role in making a
talent into a belated star.
The man, the legend, and no longer a myth.
Searching for Sugar Man arrives on Blu-ray with a stable high definition transfer. The documentary style isn't designed to dazzle home video audiences; this is a rather straightforward sort of image that offer crisp, well-defined HD video-sourced material for the new interviews and also contains some antique footage from decades past. The new interview clips offer satisfying, clear, and accurate pictures. Colors are even and balanced, details sharp, and the presentation only a bit noisy. There's a good bit of "retro" 1960s footage (or footage made to look retro, as the case may be; the commentary track contains an interesting tidbit on Director Malik Bendjelloul's filming of "vintage" Super 8 footage) that takes the look of aged film. There's also wavy standard definition, consumer-level, home video grade tape material from some older Rodriguez concerts dating from just after the time of his rediscovery. The material looks fine given the source; such is not factored into the overall video score. On the whole, this is a professional, even presentation that doesn't dazzle but isn't designed to dazzle, either. The transfer suits the source just fine.
Searching for Sugar Man finds a home on Blu-ray with a very high quality DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Sony's presentation is largely above reproach, reproducing music beautifully. Songs really dance through speakers, playing with pinpoint accuracy and faultless clarity, presenting listeners with crystal-clear notes that reveal the tiniest musical details, solid body, and a soothing, relaxing presence. The track also features some good atmospherics, notably in a gentle rainstorm that follows the opening titles; the rain splashes through the entire stage and thunder drifts about, the latter rolling and gaining a heavier presence as it grows in potency. Aside from music, dialogue is this track's bread-and-butter element; the spoken word comes through clearly and evenly in every scene. All in all, this is another grade-A soundtrack from Sony.
Searching for Sugar Man contains a fair collection of extras, including a commentary, a making-of, and a film festival interview.
Searching for Sugar Man is one of the best films of 2012. Its greatest success stems from its ability convey the true power of the musical art form and the influence it has on lives, the way a penned lyric, a sung vocal, a played note can resonate so far beyond the mind, mouth, or fingers of the artist, outside of the recording studio, and across borders. Of course, there's the main focus, the search for a man once thought dead by spectacle suicide but discovered leading an ordinary life many thousands of miles away from the fans he never knew he had. It's a touching story of belated fame and a very well crafted film that will inspire music lovers and audiences in search of a tremendous human interest story. Sony's Blu-ray release of Searching for Sugar Man features good video and high quality audio. A few quality extras are included. Very highly recommended.
2013
with Bonus Disc
2012
2013
2018
Bruce Springsteen
1977-2009
2016
2013
1981
2012
2015
Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition
2005
2012
2019
2015
Deluxe Edition | ~90m Bonus disc
2016
1974
1981
2008
2020
2008