Directed By Greg Kwedar; Screenplay By Clint Bently & Greg Kwedar; Story By Clint Bently, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, & John "Divine G" Whitfield; Starring Colman Domingo, Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, Sean San José, Paul Raci, David "Dap" Giraudy, Patrick "Preme" Griffin, Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez, and Sean "Dino" Johnson.
This movie is based on the biographies, The Sing Sing Follies by John H. Richardson and Breakin' the Mummy's Code by Brent Buell. Sing Sing follows Divine G (Colman Domingo), who is imprisoned at Sing Sing Correctional Facility (one of the world's most infamous maximum security prisons) for a crime he didn't commit. He finds purpose by acting in a small theatre group alongside other incarcerated men as they attempt to stage their own original production, Breakin' the Mummy's Code.
Under Greg Kwedar’s direction, he approaches this as if it were a documentary. Pat Scola’s cinematography (which was shot on 16mm film) plays a large part in that. Although the visual aesthetic also gives the movie a sense of timelessness. It never feels like it’s taking place in a specific time period, it feels like it’s taking place in any time. Parker Laramie’s editing successfully keeps this tightly paced throughout the 107 duration. Bryce Dessner’s musical score comes off as very effective to the ears.
On paper, this movie should pretty much hinge on the strength of its cast. If they’re anything but, then the end results wouldn’t be that compelling. Luckily, the whole ensemble works so seamlessly well together. As the central lead of the film, Colman Domingo provides such layered work as Divine G. A good number of the supporting players happen to be real-life formerly incarcerated men who were alumni of the program during their time at Sing Sing. They each play themselves, and this results in performances filled with raw honesty. Although the standout to me would have to be Clarence Maclin.
In the end, Sing Sing perfectly explores how the power of the arts can really enrich people’s lives. As a longtime theatre person, that really spoke to me. It’s also such an emotional story that had me tearing up at one point. Any good soul on the face of the Earth should easily connect with this movie. Even lowlifes should also feel uplifted by the message of Sing Sing.
Rating: 5/5
This movie is based on the biographies, The Sing Sing Follies by John H. Richardson and Breakin' the Mummy's Code by Brent Buell. Sing Sing follows Divine G (Colman Domingo), who is imprisoned at Sing Sing Correctional Facility (one of the world's most infamous maximum security prisons) for a crime he didn't commit. He finds purpose by acting in a small theatre group alongside other incarcerated men as they attempt to stage their own original production, Breakin' the Mummy's Code.
Under Greg Kwedar’s direction, he approaches this as if it were a documentary. Pat Scola’s cinematography (which was shot on 16mm film) plays a large part in that. Although the visual aesthetic also gives the movie a sense of timelessness. It never feels like it’s taking place in a specific time period, it feels like it’s taking place in any time. Parker Laramie’s editing successfully keeps this tightly paced throughout the 107 duration. Bryce Dessner’s musical score comes off as very effective to the ears.
On paper, this movie should pretty much hinge on the strength of its cast. If they’re anything but, then the end results wouldn’t be that compelling. Luckily, the whole ensemble works so seamlessly well together. As the central lead of the film, Colman Domingo provides such layered work as Divine G. A good number of the supporting players happen to be real-life formerly incarcerated men who were alumni of the program during their time at Sing Sing. They each play themselves, and this results in performances filled with raw honesty. Although the standout to me would have to be Clarence Maclin.
In the end, Sing Sing perfectly explores how the power of the arts can really enrich people’s lives. As a longtime theatre person, that really spoke to me. It’s also such an emotional story that had me tearing up at one point. Any good soul on the face of the Earth should easily connect with this movie. Even lowlifes should also feel uplifted by the message of Sing Sing.
Rating: 5/5