The Movie: Sing Sing
The Director: Greg Kwedar
The Cast: Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler, Colman Domingo, Raúl Domingo, Larry Kalas, Larry Kelly, Nancy Schafer, Clarence Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San José, Paul Raci
The Story: Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.
The Rating: 9 / 10
The Review:
Colman Domingo has been around for a long time with roles in film and TV dating back to the mid 1990's although he never caught my attention until I saw the iconic performancs he and Zendaya gave together in HBO's Euphoria series. Once I really took notice of what he is capable of, I knew it was just a matter of time before he would find a role that would elevate him to elite level status amongst his Hollywood peers. This is that movie.
If Colman isn't nominated for all the awards when the time comes then the system is truly rigged. By the way. The entire movie is pretty fantastic as well. The story is one that needs more attention and it was created from about as inside of a perspective as you will ever find. Domingo plays John "Divine G" Whitfield whose experience in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison is at the center of the story.
Whitfield himself has a cameo in the movie and several other former participants of the program are actually featured in the movie as themselves like David "Dap" Giraudy, Patrick "Preme" Griffin, and Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin who I wouldn't be surprised if he receives awards nominations down the road as well. Along with Domingo's stellar work in the movie, I was also very impressed with Paul Raci who plays Brent Buell, the director of the program.
Seriously though, the movie is full of strong performances from everyone involved probably because each person had so much invested in not only getting the movie made, but also in telling the story in an authentic and engaging way. It's so easy to see incarcerated people as numbers and statistics and stereotpyes so being able to see the humanity in this setting is so important and essential to more and more rehabilitative resources being available.
Even though the setting is very specific, I fell like the subject matter is universal for anyone dealing with hardships or circumstances beyond their control. The story shows that a true sense of community and belonging can uplift everyone involved even in a situation that seems hopeless and like the odds are stacked against you. Watching the perseverence and determination of these men and the willingness to support each other is truly inspiring epsecially when you see moments acted out by people who actually lived them.
Sing Sing is one of those movies that defies the passage of time. You get so drawn in to the story and characters that you forget the rest of the world exists and that's what the magic of cinema is really all about. Creating experiences and moments and works of art that inspire as much as they entertain.
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