

sing sing
★★★★★
starring: colman domingo, clarence maclin, divine g, and paul raci
​
REVIEWER: lyall carter
Imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, Divine G finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including a wary newcomer.
Many when asked to name a movie set in a prison would name one film and one film only: The Shawshank Redemption. And for very good reason, the film is a classic, one of my all time favorites but, at its core, it has an American hope filled sensibility to it that is slightly fantastical and doesn’t really capture the true nature of those institutions and the people that inhabit them. Sing Sing is another film entirely. Brimming with truth and compassion, Sing Sing is a hope fuelled call to male vulnerability and a timely reminder of the transforming power of the arts. One of this year's very best films.
Based on a remarkable true story. Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo stars as Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, who finds purpose by acting in a theatre group with other incarcerated men. When a wary outsider joins the group, the men decide to stage their first original comedy, in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors.
An old proverb says that hope deferred makes the heart sick. While films are fantastical and they can transport us away from the dull and damaged parts of our lives when we need them to, the stories we tell also need to infuse us with hope that is real, hope that can truly be touched. A hope that is rooted in truth and justice, not some fantastical, Hollywood kinda hope, one that can really can change things in us and in our world. And that’s the kind of film that Sing Sing is.
You will walk out of this film a better person for having experienced the story of Divine G and the inmates of Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Having been immersed in these real lives that even, in the most unlikely of places, true beauty and transformation can be found.
Brimming with truth and compassion, Sing Sing is a hope fuelled call to male vulnerability and a timely reminder of the transforming power of the arts. One of this year's very best films.