“Sing Sing” finds hope in the most desperate place
"Sing Sing" has been on my radar for some time. It is from A24, a studio that has released some of my favorite movies of the past 10 years (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Midsommar, The Flordia Project), it stars Colman Domingo, an actor who makes everything he is in better and the premise was interesting. I knew about the movie, but it always surprises me when I go to a movie like this and see a substantial number of people in the audience. It gives me hope when a small movie like this reaches a larger audience than people like me: movie nerds.
"Sing Sing" focuses on an acting program for inmates at Sing Sing Prison.
Domingo plays Divine G, a man imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. While in prison, he helps start a program called RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts) that allows prisoners to perform in plays. Domingo is an incredible actor and is given a lot to work with here. If he doesn't get the Oscar for Best Actor, it will further delegitimize those awards.
One of the most shocking elements of this movie is that, with two exceptions, the main actors are previously incarcerated, and they all do a fantastic job. Divine Eye, played by Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, is stunning to watch. He is set up as the antagonist. He is in prison for dealing drugs and is seen doing the same thing in prison. He has an attitude that makes him seem to think that he is too good for this program. He is someone who is so immersed in prison culture that watching him soften and become a better person is one of my favorite parts of this film.
I have now seen this movie twice, once in Philly and once here in Buffalo, and both times, I have left the theater stunned. This is a special movie. "Sing Sing" is, hands down, my favorite film this year; odds are that it will be my No. 1 of the year. It is everything I go to the movies for; incredible performances, inspiring storytelling, and you leave with a different view of the world.
9/10
Rated R for language throughout
1hr. 47min.
