Searching for Sugar Man - a review

I first heard of this movie, more fittingly a documentary on an afternoon talk show. I was working from home and during lunch saw a few minutes of the Jeff Probst show which was perhaps a repeat because the documentary they were discussing had won an Oscar for 2012. This was about a man who was more famous than Elvis Presley or the Rolling Stones but in South Africa.

A "zero" in America but a "hero" in South Africa was how one of the promotional material put it. During the apartheid years his song and lyrics gave an outlet for the disconnected anti establishment youth of white South Africa. His songs become an underground hit suppressed by the apartheid regime of the time.

Image Courtesy: Amazon

It wasn't the politics that made me want to watch the movie but the mystery surrounding the lead singer. He was supposed to have immolated himself in front of fans or according to some shot himself in the head when he was performing. I am a succor for the murder mystery genre and that was initially what got me wanting to watch the documentary.

As luck would have it the movie was showing on the transatlantic flight we were on. It is a heart warming documentary about a musician who is still unknown in his birth country but was a legend in South Africa.

The songs I can't not talk about them. This is a documentary about a musician after all. They are haunting and melodious. I am looking into buying the CD that is how catchy they are.

If you are looing to watch this movie it is on DVD. I even found it on Red Box our rental place of the moment. If you are planning to watch the documentary do not search the internet for information and read about before watching it. The magic will be gone!

Has anybody watched this documentary? Share how you felt about it after watching the documentary.