Sing Sing Review
Based on the Esquire article “The Sing Sing Follies” by Brent Buell. Sing Sing is about the real-life program in the Sing Sing prison in upstate New York. A small group of inmates put on plays for the correctional facility twice a year.
Sing Sing is directed by Greg Kwedar, who is so new that he does not even have a Wikipedia page. This is just his second feature film after the 2016 film Transpecos. It’s the announcement of the century, ok maybe hyperbolic, but everyone is about to know Greg Kwedar’s name.
What could be a gimmick, in a bad film it would be like 15:17 to Paris. However, when done well it’s more than a gimmick. Sing Sing casts alumni of the program.
Everyone except for Colman Domingo, Sean San Jose, and Paul Raci is an alumnus of the Rehabilitation of the Arts Program in Sing Sing prison.
For a young director to be able to work with so many non-professionals and pull the performances they give is remarkable. Greg may not be nominated for an Oscar for this small film, but he will be in the future.
Of the newcomers, who are all great, there is a major standout; Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin as Himself. His performance is the perfect example of why you should never judge a book by its cover.
Everyone has layers to them. Divine Eye seems to be a hardened drug dealer, but he can recite Shakespeare from memory. It’s a deeply moving and understood performance.
Something you’d expect from a veteran actor. His character is also a great exemplar of what this program can do and has done for many men.
Colamn is also unsurprisingly great in the lead role. It would’ve been so easy for Colman to dominate the film. Yet, he allows room for all of the actors to have their moment. Yet he still has multiple Oscar clips within his performance.
So far this year has been a down year for film. Mostly because the writer and actor strikes of 2023, led to fewer films released in 2024. Late into August, I had yet to see a “great” film released in 2024.
There have been some good ones, but nothing great. This is the first great film of 2024; at least that I have seen not just from an Acting and Directional standpoint but also from an emotional standpoint.
Movies are empathy machines. We go to films to feel something, whatever that emotion may be. This film will leave you feeling emotions full of emotion. It’s a natural trick of the film because it’s the point of the program itself.
This program forces these men to become vulnerable. That openness with other people allows for a connection with each other. It also forces introspection, which in turn allows for change.
To create art one must be vulnerable. My choir teacher used to say: “Music without passion is just noise.” We must allow ourselves to be open in order to create art.
It’s the film’s vulnerability, which in turn makes you open to the film itself. By the end of the film, you’re so full of emotion that it’ll come pouring out of you. It’s not a specific emotion, just full of it all.
This special film will make you feel. It boasts some excellent performances from professional and amateur actors alike.
The Academy loves a narrative and no one has a better one than Clarence Maclin. I’m calling my shot now, Clarence will be nominated for an Oscar and possibly even win.
Please see this film.
4.5/5 Stars
