Sing Sing

Saw this movie as one of those Mystery movies where you do not know what you are seeing until you get there. I enjoyed this movie even tho this wouldn't of been a movie I would of watched in the theater. I had a couple tear jerking moments and realizing half the cast was the actual prison theater crew is impressive. I was almost going to walk out when I found out it was Sing Sing but the movie Grabbing my attention and kept me in my seat till the end. Again the the cast was most of the prisoners that was part of the theater group and they actually did a really good job considering they only exp they had was in Prison.

I was incredibly moved by this film. I went into it was no expectations other than to be blown away by Coleman Domingo, who always delivers a strong performance in every film he's in. I was most taken by the performance by his costar Clarence Maclin, Who brought such tenderness and compassion to his character and the other characters. It's really great to know that some of the other actors in the film are also formerly incarcerated men in the RTA program, and that everyone involved with the production has some equity with the film. I think with real life stories like this that is the way to produce a film in the most authentic and rewarding way possible.

Rating: 8.7 Overall, a powerful movie that shows how inmates are still humans despite their mistakes as the movie uses alumni from Sing Sing's RTA program to deliver this strong message on redemption, all lead by a great performance from Colman Domingo.

Very Good Direction (The direction on a macroscale is very good as they really set the scene and the weight the setting has on the characters, especially how they are secluded from the free world; the direction on a microscale is great as you see all the performances elevated in the interpersonal scenes since this is where you see the trauma these characters are facing as they fight for their humanity; the storytelling is good as he lets the actors play and be storytellers (using their personal experiences to shape their characters); he builds tension very well as the whole movie is about building an emotional connection with these characters, and you are invested in what happens with their fight for their freedom), Very Good Acting (Great from Colman Domingo (A real commanding performance as he is the leader of the cast and brings out the best in everyone, showing a wide range of emotions to show how the characters are still human beings despite their mistakes), Good from the rest of the cast (The entire cast gives very grounded, multidimensional performances as they use their personal experiences in Sing Sing and RTA to create their characters and convey their messages/struggles)), Very Good Story (The concept is very unique as it is a semi-autobiographical take on finding a safe place in a traumatic environment, and the movie shows how the characters continue to fight for their freedom and humanity; the plot structure is laid out very well; flow between sequences is good; character writing is great as you care for these characters and their struggle, and by the end, you root for them to grow and earn their freedom), Very Good Screenplay (The dialogue is good for the most part (even though it is a bit overt at times) and emulates how people in a maximum security penitentiary would talk, and the dialogue is filled with a lot of emotion at times that invokes feelings out of the audience; the humor is used well to help lighten the mood and show multiple dimensions of the characters; the symbolism is heavily prevalent as the movie is a huge metaphor about finding humanity in a place that tries to take it from you, and it deals a lot with how humans may be flawed people, but there is still good in those who try to redeem themselves for the better; the foreshadowing is decently prevalent), Good Score (Helps with establishing the mood), Good to Very Good Cinematography (Filled with a lot of beautiful shots and shows the large distance between the penitentiary and the free world), Good Editing (Used well in the context of the movie), , , Very Good Production Design (They send a strong message by filming the movie at Sing Sing (and this most likely helps the cast as they convey the trauma they felt from being there)), Pacing is the right pace, Climax is very emotional as it is a key point in many of the characters' lives as they fight for their freedom as well as their peace, Tone is very emotional as the semi-biographical feel paints this drama as very grounded (but still has other flavors to holistically portray the characters), It is very powerful that they had the cast filled with alumni from the program as it made the performances feel very realistic; saw the US premiere at SXSW.

Caught this film last night at a blind preview at our local theater complex. Probably wouldn't have opted to see it if I'd have known what it was but I'm grateful I did. Moving, honest portrayals by some of the participants in the program it depicts (particularly Clarence Maclin and Sean Johnson) and the work of Colman Domingo are it's strengths. The cinematography and direction add to the sincerity of the performances by not overwhelming them and taking an approach that feels like the viewer is witnessing the conversations and events instead of consuming them. Thought provoking. Understated. Sincere. Not flawless but really well done.

"We're here to become human again." Rehabilitation Through the Arts at Sing Sing Correctional Facility

Occasionally a movie comes on the scene, and not usually in the summer, so naturalistic and unadorned, so brimming with humanity and the restorative nature of the arts, that it cries out, "Don't forget me at Oscar time!" Such is Sing Sing, set in 2005, when John H, Richardson's Esquire article The Sing Sing Follies was published.

Notorious as the prison was, its theater activity, like the therapy program at Folsom prison, provided a ragtag group the chance to mount theater productions aimed at elevating their spirits and their very souls. The sterling docudrama, headed by Oscar-winning Colman Domingo as founder Divine G, and real-life Clarence "Divine Eye" Macklin as Divine Eye, is so authentic and artful, that nothing this year can quite compare. Most of the cast either are alumni or current residents of the prison, where "Kill or be Killed" was a disturbing mantra, changing now as: "To put on nice clothes and dance around. To enjoy the things that are not in our reality."

The troupe creates a bizarre production, Breakin' the Mummy's Cord, that includes among others Shakespeare, time travel, and Freddy Kreuger. The transformative element is best exemplified by Divine Eye, who discovers an artistic side that far eclipses any success he may have had as a covert art dealer.

Never during the film does even the muted violence of many other top-rated tales like Shawshank or Alcatraz appear, assuring the elevation of spirit that accompanies the arts. "Sing Sing" is itself a work of art crying out to be considered the best movie of the year so far and one of the finest prison movies ever offered on the screen.

"I don't write comedies. I write satires," Divine G.