1.5 Paws
Seen recently at Film Streams
The story is an incredible one, and it's true - a soft-spoken guy with a great look from Detroit makes a couple of records in the 1970s that go absolutely nowhere in the United States, but, unbeknownst to him (and apparently anyone else), he becomes a rock god in South Africa. Then, after years of living in obscurity while toiling away at tough manual labor jobs, two of his biggest fans track him down and bring him to their country for a series of concerts that parallel the hype surrounding the first U.S. visit of the Beatles.
It's too bad the documentary doesn't live up to its subject matter. Sixto Rodriguez is one of the most charming, unassuming artists I've ever seen on screen, but you don't get to meet him until you're almost halfway through the film's 86-minute running time. I dozed off prior to our introduction to the now 70-year-old poet/musician/day laborer who once threw his hat in the Detroit city council race, and I was left with a ton of questions. Why didn't he make it? (His sound is similar to James Taylor and the late great Jim Croce.) Can he recoup any of the money (not that he cares to) from record sales that should have gone into his pocket? What happened to the mother (or mothers) of his three daughters? Does he really live through Detroit winters with only a wood-burning stove to heat his home?
The film's saving grace is that it's introduced Rodriguez to an American audience, and he's experiencing a resurgence of sorts. I hope he books a gig in Omaha soon - maybe then I'll get some answers.
Bonus Bones: 0
No dogs, unless one made an appearance while I was dozing.
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