Sing Sing

Sing Sing
Starring Colman Domingo, Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, Sean San Jose, Paul Raci
Directed by Greg Kwedar

Back in 2020, there was a movie called "Nomadland" starring Frances McDormand that centered on a woman embarking on a journey through the West, living among a group of nomads who lived in vans. The movie earned numerous Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director for Chloe Zhao, and the movie included actual nomads, making it feel almost like a documentary, but transcended the motif. Now, director Greg Kwedar gives us "Sing Sing," a movie about a man imprisoned in the infamous Sing Sing prison that participates in the prison's theater company, which also features former incarcerated actors playing themselves much like the nomads in "Nomadland" did. The result is the same - a spellbinding, quasi-documentary film that transcends its motif and feels grounded, natural, and real.

John "Divine G" Whitfield (Colman Domingo) is incarcerated in Sing Sing prison for a crime he didn't commit, but as he awaits his parole hearing he participates in the prison's theater program, where inmates participate in plays written by fellow inmate Brent Buell (Paul Raci), and he makes it feel like a family unit. The participants in his next play - a comedy that blends a lot of major historical characters into one story - includes first-timer Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin (Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin), who at first is hesitant and guarded, but with Divine G's aid he opens up more and begins seeing the theater group as a place of refuge against the heartless exterior of Sing Sing penitentiary.

There are so many ways "Sing Sing" could've fallen into the generic pitfalls of either a theater movie or a prison movie. Theater wise, it could've focused on the outcast of the group that is at first hesitant to perform but after a mesmerizing moment with the film's main character he opens up in a tearful, over-the-top exhibition to his hidden past that gives him pause for opening up, only to shine in the film's final moments. Prison-wise, it could've focused on the tough-as-nails inmate who has a cold heart against the world for the wrongs done to him, only to find solace in the theater group and through an overly-emotional moment unload all his past hurts to find the strength within to withstand any difficulties. While there's moments of those in "Sing Sing," director Greg Kwedar graciously pulls away before the melodrama starts, grounding the film in utter, beautiful reality.

The film features Colman Domingo as Divine G, a man wrongfully incarcerated but makes the most of it serving as the prison's bigger brother, taking in fellow convicts under his wing and showing them their sense of humanity that's not lost due to past mistakes they've made. He almost runs the theater program and the others look up to his leadership and command of the stage, and this is Domingo's best performance by far. While he gives Shakespeare soliloquies as a trained thespian, it's the moments the camera focuses on his face and expressions that you truly see the man behind the proverbial mask. His deep voice resonates with a mixture of sincerity and comforting force, making those around him sit up and take notice.

The film cast previous prisoners of Sing Sing to play fictionalized versions of themselves, and most notably it's Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin that truly shines. Having previously been incarcerated in Sing Sing for armed robbery, he plays a fictionalized version of himself here and does so masterfully, as his character is the most in danger of falling into traditions: he's the gruff, hard-hearted prisoner who butts heads with everyone, and looks to be the antagonist to Divine G, but again, the director chooses to steer from that traditional path and make it more realistic. Divine Eye is no saint, but you can sense the humanity deep within, and seeing him opening up more and more with his time with the theater group is transcendent, and Maclin's acting alongside Domingo is something you need to see to fully appreciate.

The film's natural look is thanks to cinematographer Pat Scola, who films each scene with a chaotic sense because there's not a lot of actual script being told, but rather it's the performers - all former inmates - who dictate the story. Through the numerous drama club meetings, you can tell the realism being portrayed, and the deep appreciation the former inmates have for the program. They share how the theater program has changed their lives, the importance of art, the ability to let their guard down in a safe space and, as one of the inmates said, gives them a place "to be human again." It's something you don't normally see in a film like this, almost akin to a documentary rather than a scripted story, and therein lies the magic of it all. The performances, the story, the passion - it's all real, and you can sense it in every frame, leaving for a one-of-a-kind experience you won't soon forget.

The Score: A+