Sing Sing

 Howdy, Baxter, what's up?

Jethro! Sing Sing came out in July! Why on earth haven't you reviewed it yet?

Because it came out in only ten theaters, nationwide, and not one of them was a theater near me?! It didn't even come out on streaming until just last week, for which I had to pay a pretty penny (or a few thousand) to watch. 

Okay, fair enough.

Primarily based on the titular article in the book, The Sing Sing Follies, by John H. Richardson, director Greg Kwedar introduces us to the Rehabilitation through the Arts program, which helps rehabilitate New York State prisoners through the creative arts. It's based in the titular prison, which is where we find John "Divine G" Whitfield (Colman Domingo) and his troupe (almost all of whom play themselves). Tired of doing Shakespeare and other seriousness, the guys pitch a comedy to director Brent Buell (Paul Raci), who distills their disparate ideas into a time-traveling farce called Breakin' the Mummy's Code, the screenplay's other source material.

Divine G, a Shakespearean devotee, is annoyed when fellow inmate Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin gets the pivotal part of Hamlet. Divine Eye has a chip on his shoulder, and he struggles with the whole acting thing. But Divine G soon helps Divine Eye refine his dramatic skills, and they eventually become friends. During the rehearsal stage, both Divines are up for parole, but it seems only Divine Eye is successful. What will become of their silly stage show with gladiators, pirates, the aforementioned Hamlet and even Freddy Krueger?

In other reviews, I commended actors' performances if their character was more natural than mere acting. This is an instance where most of the cast are actually their characters, with some liberties. The RTA alumni are a likable bunch, even if whatever crimes they committed were serious. It’s quite fascinating to watch them open up to each other during the rehearsal process. These scenes get better once you realize they improvised their lines. They effortlessly prove themselves as natural movie stars as their established co-stars. A few highlights include the elderly Camillo Lovacco and Jon-Adrian “JJ” Hernandez, the latter of whom was recently exonerated.

But it's Maclin who serves as the RTA's MVP. His fictionalized self doesn't endear himself to Divine G when he wins the role of Hamlet. But he endears himself to the audience as he opens up about his broken dreams. In a pivotal scene, Divine Eye's dramatic inexperience nearly results in a brawl during rehearsals, until Divine G helps him translate his animosity into stage presence. Later on, when Divine G has lost all hope, it's Divine Eye who helps him regain that hope. I'll reiterate on that when I discuss Domingo's performance in the next paragraph.

Domingo, as the fictional Divine G, plays a man who also struggles to connect with others. He's a better Lysander from A Midsummer Night's Dream than he is a team-player. Cases in Point: he's annoyed when the others reject his latest serious play and is devastated when Divine Eye upstages him. He's quite sympathetic when his only other friend, Mike Mike (Sean San Jose), suddenly dies, and when his parole is declined. That's when his brave face crumbles to pieces. At least he has Divine Eye to help him when he needs it most. It's quite compelling to watch the Divines become friends throughout the film, which culminates in a moving coda for them.

What else do we have here? Paul Raci is quite likable as Buell, whose real counterpart has a cameo, along with the real Divine G. The titular prison, as rendered by cinematographer Pat Scola, is rather cold and desolate. The RTA's performances, meanwhile, are perfectly vibrant; the end credits show us clips of the actual performance of Breakin' the Mummy's Code, and they're as funny as the film's version. While Bryce Dessner's melancholic score is quite memorable, Abraham Alexander & Adrian Quesada's Oscar-nominated end song Like a Bird is quite joyous to listen to. 

Don't be surprised if Sing Sing gets you interested in watching Breakin' the Mummy's Code live. It's both a moving prison docudrama, and an interesting insight into the theatrical process. Its ensemble is unforgettable, whether they're playing characters or themselves. Their stories are worth listening to. It's worth just about whatever you need to pay for it, especially if you want to see it before the Oscars. It won't come out on Blu-Ray until next month, well after the festivities are done. I'll leave it to you to decide when to see it.

Next up, something cheaper, but no less moving.