Carlos

This controlled documentary captivates as a soulful personal history, even if it doesn’t exactly transcend.

It’s lovingly told -- and intimate.

Valdez gets the job done, laying down a constant soundtrack of Santana’s music in the background that (to be honest) sounds like variations on the same theme over and over again at slightly different speeds.

Rudy Valdez’s documentary presents Santana’s life and career in a straightforward way, but that doesn’t explain why the film is so enthralling.

In the absence of critics and historians providing commentary and appraisal, “Carlos” glosses over items of significant public interest.

This straightforward rock documentary, with its fairly traditional arc, is heightened by Santana's embrace of the spiritual and the natural, lending a somewhat mythical tone to his story.

Carlos shows why he belongs to the ages.

s Carlos also a film worth embracing? If you want to hear some extraordinary music—jazz fusion to progressive rock—then the film provides much pleasure.

How can you not enjoy a documentary about Carlos Santana? It gets very hard not to, and this one is perfectly serviceable.

Fans will find plenty to love here, as the film is packed with terrific anecdotes as well as Carlos' unique brand of philosophising. These deeper ideas provide several thoughtful moments, especially as Carlos explores how music so often feels magical.