How do you tell a story faithfully? You get the real people to tell it.
Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing” tells the story of Divine G (Coleman Domingo), a falsely imprisoned man in New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility who finds solace in their Rehabilitation through the Arts program (RTA). The theatre group decides to do a comedy for their upcoming play, bringing on a cautious newcomer by the name of Divine Eye (Clarence Maclin).
This film caught my eye after it premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where I saw numerous viewers online call it a potential Academy Award winner. In particular, Coleman Domingo was highly praised for his heartfelt performance. And while I do agree, the true showstopper for me was the ensemble. The film relies on the raw and deeply personal acting of the supporting cast, which is made up of formerly incarcerated RTA alumni who all play themselves. They highlight the struggle and feeling of being imprisoned that wouldn’t have been executed as effectively if they had hired regular actors to play their roles.
One scene that sticks out to me is in the first half of the movie, where Paul Raci’s character, Brent Buell, asks everyone to imagine their happiest memory. In a place where you typically wouldn’t expect to find it, the men show an honest display of vulnerability. Throughout the film, opening up and letting yourself be seen is one of the common themes. The movie itself tugs at your heart and challenges the preconceived notions of what society thinks of when they hear “inmate.”
Aside from the acting and writing, director Greg Kwedar and cinematographer Pat Scola work together to deliver the message of the film visually. Each stylistic choice is intentional, from the composition of a shot to the medium of 16mm film. Scola uses two main types of shots: framing and close-ups. The framing shots are frequent and convey the feeling of being trapped, much like how the characters feel trapped in prison. The cinematographer uses close-ups to emphasize the emotion of a scene, putting a spotlight on the acting and adding a sense of intimacy to the movie.
“Beyond the confines of the prison walls and the razor wires, you can see trees and forests in the distance.” Scola said in an interview with Kodak. “That element of tragedy — that you can see the world out there, but can’t actually go and touch it … In this story, the human face was our landscape, often with very intimate close-ups.”
Overall, the film gained a solid 4.5 out of five stars from me, and I expect its name in the shortlist for the next Oscars. If I were to predict categories, I would expect a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, with another for Best Supporting Actor for Maclin. This film is a reminder of the storytelling power of cinema, and also a gorgeous display of humanity that happens in a short span of 107 minutes. Keep an eye out for it when it comes to Apple TV!
