Movie Review - Sing Sing

Director: Greg Kwedar
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San Jose, Paul Raci, David Giraudy, Patrick Griffin, Mosi Eagle, James Williams, Sean Dino Johnson
 
Description: Divine G (Colman Domingo), 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.
 
Review: Sing Sing Prison is one of the best known and most closely guarded prisons in the United States. Some big criminals have been executed in this New York jail in the past. Therefore, you wouldn’t expect to find theater people in that prison. In 1996 a number of inmates founded the theater company RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts).

Through the theater arts, inmates try to get in touch with their emotions and find themselves. It changes the men considerably. This breaks the American stigma of prisoners as machos, trouble seekers, violent men. Within these walls there are also sensitive theatrical types.

This contrast with our expectations immediately makes you feel sympathy for the main characters. An implicit but clear distinction emerges between who these people were before their imprisonment and who they have become. Such a contrast can quickly come across as implausible, but not in “Sing Sing”. It also helps that many of the actors play themselves, with the exception of Colman Domingo and Paul Raci.

Despite their minimal experience in front of the camera, the actors convey their strong personalities beautifully and authentically. There is a lot of nuance in their roles, allowing them to display a broad spectrum of emotions. In the process, they also reinforce each other: the group dynamic is without a doubt the strongest aspect of the film. The way the men interact with each other immediately shows the deep connection they share.

Colman Domingo shines as the main character John “Divine G” Whitfield, but it’s Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin who steals the show. His transformation from the tough, emotionless jailbird to passionate actor is simply brilliant. As an initial outsider, he comes up with ideas the regular members didn’t think of before. This beautifully exposes the contrats between the characters.

“Sing Sing” is a crowd pleaser, it has emotional depth, an excellent script and great performances. Loved it!

Rating: 5/ 5