Reel Review: Sing Sing is an Incredibly Important Testimony to the Power of Art
Sing Sing brings to life the real story behind the Sing Sing Correctional Facility’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts program where incarcerated members partake in theatrical productions as a mean of expressing emotion, bonding, and finding joy in their daily lives. Taking us through the journey of an unconventional stage production, this film delivers just a glimpse into what these people go through during their time at the facility and how the RTA program helped them grapple with their current situation and imagine better lives for themselves.
I knew this going in, but one of the best parts of experiencing this film in a theater is when the end credits start to role and many of the cast members are stated as playing themselves. The audience reactions was laughing, crying, and downright joyful. Only three cast members were professional actors, the rest were previously incarcerated inmates who had participated in the RTA program at Sing Sing. This is as real as it gets making this movie feel equally balanced between a documentary and a drama.
The story unfolds as the group invites a few new members to kick off their next performance. With varying wished, the director (Paul Raci) writes an original script encapsulating time travel, Hamlet, ancient Egypt, cowboy westerns, and much more. Presumed to take the lead, Divine G (Colman Domingo) is demoted to a side character while program newcomer, Clarence Maclin takes on the lead role in a outwardly confident yet unsure manner.
Through this whole process, Divine G guides Clarence, giving him tricks on learning lines, notes during rehearsals, and legal advice on the side. Clarence begins to climb in his self worth and eventually receives a letter notifying him that he will be released. As this happens, Divine looses fellow cast mate and best friend, Mike Mike (Sean San Jose) who passes away in his cell one night. Shortly after, Divine’s clemency hearing doesn’t go as expected, resulting in his continued sentence.
Divine G’s personal will begins to falter in the face of so much difficulty leading him to eventually lash out at theater rehearsal. Downright, the best scene of the movie and Domingo’s greatest work. He acknowledges that the work they do in this program seems trivial and that it doesn’t matter, while Clarence upholds all of the good it does. Divine eventually rejoins the production and sets the stage on fire with a performance worth everything he has.
Colman Domingo is an absolute shining star, not that anyone was doubting him. His role in this film has solidified him as a leading man capable of really driving a narrative forward. As much as he excels in this role, he never seems out of place or above another actor. The entire ensemble emulates true love for the process of acting and it never feels inauthentic, because it isn’t.
Sing Sing is everything right with the entertainment industry. A true shining light on something of grand importance that is accessible and perfectly executed. The real Divine G wrote the script and makes a cameo towards the end of the film. His compassion and honest adoration for the program is enough to make any viewer fall in love with this story. Rounded out by a post credit scene featuring clips of the real productions put on by RTA at Sing Sing, this movie packs an emotional punch until the very end. Sing Sing is a must watch, not just for a movie lover, but for everyone who believes in the power of art and the positive change it makes in the world.
Sing Sing is playing in theaters now.
