First Take: Searching for Sugar Man- documentary time.

SYPNOSIS:

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock ‘n’ roller, Rodriguez.

Documentaries are few and far between in the film industry nowadays, and with the rise of ‘event’ cinema, more of them are popping up- but this Swedish/British effort may simply be the most insightful and well made one I’ve seen.

It tells the story very well, and while many mainstream audiences may not have heard of Rodriguez, the direction of the film by Malik Bendjelloul
is done in a way that engages a mainstream audience brilliantly. It is shot with ease by

Camilla Skagerström, blending some animated segments, the typical talking head elements of the documentary and some very clever super 8 style sequences together to create a film that deserves to be projected well on the big screen. There’s a reason why this film won the BAFTA for Best Documentary in 2013.

THE VERDICT

This is without a question one of the best documentaries I’ve seen. The blend of story to style is faultless, and the music is incredible- not everyone’s cup of tea though- but it is brilliantly made.

Rating- 4/5