SING SING
Starring: Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Paul Raci, and Sean San José
Director: Greg Kwedar
NICK
Colman Domingo's transition from television to the big screen is happening at a rapid pace, and it feels like he’s only going to get bigger thanks to his dynamic lead performance in Sing Sing (as well as Rustin). This is a heartwarming story that truly surprised me. I’m notably stingy on non-actors getting feature roles, but that doesn’t apply here because these real-life graduates from the ATC program ARE actors, as their real-world performances show. Though it’s set in a prison, Sing Sing doesn’t need to rely on violence to work. Instead, it’s a beautiful story of brotherhood and camaraderie amongst common men.
ADRIANO
The surprise of the festival has got to be Sing Sing. What could've been sappy Oscar-bait turns into something truly beautiful as it examines the humanity that can be found somewhere so deeply dehumanizing. Colman Domingo shines alongside an incredible ensemble (mostly comprised of real-life former inmates), all of whom come together with director Greg Kwedar and his co-writer Clint Bentley to make something devastating yet hopeful about the healing power of art. Quietly powerful in its approach to the subjects at hand, Sing Sing might present answers that could be seen as easy, but it’s effective nonetheless.
SHADAN
Sing Sing is one of the most profoundly affecting, inspiring, and joyful movies I’ve seen in quite some time. It's also the first movie of 2024 that I would wholeheartedly recommend to absolutely everyone. Colman Domingo is astounding, commanding, and quietly devastating, while Clarence Maclin is a stand-out in a phenomenal cast of actors. This is a movie packed with depth, empathy, and humanity. I simply cannot stop thinking about Sing Sing.
AMARÚ
Sing Sing is gritty, unpolished, makeshift, human, flawed, and perfect. Encapsulating the compassion of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) prison program the film is based on, it resonates a hopeful light through the people who actually lived it. With RTA alumni playing versions of themselves, you palpably feel the impact of their powerfully emotional performances, and while their authenticity carries Colman Domingo to what’s surely to be another Oscar nomination, it’s Sean San José and Clarence Maclin whose names should be called right alongside Domingo’s on nomination morning. Sing Sing heals the soul, enriches the spirit, and is 2024’s first true must-see movie.
This film was reviewed by Nick and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.