Colman Domingo is one of the most significant character actors in American films today. Maybe the most significant, given his work in such films as Rustin, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, If Beale Street Could Talk, Zola, Blitz Bazawule’s version of The Color Purple, Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation, Lincoln, Selma, etc.
And now, with Sing Sing—now playing in San Francisco, opening Aug 8 in Oakland and Aug 15 in San Jose—Colman is tasked with breathing some credibility into one of the riskiest of cinematic subgenres, the inspirational character study. In this case, the story of a man called Divine G (played by Domingo)—convicted of a crime and serving a sentence at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in upstate New York—who takes part in a theatrical program that benefits him and everyone around him.
Under the auspices of the real-life program Rehabilitation Through the Arts, Divine G (a character also based on real life, as are most of the film’s protagonists) not only makes a name for himself among his comrades with his stage presence and his dedication to the actor’s craft, but adds another layer of dramatic luster to actor Domingo’s filmography.
Sing Sing—a collaboration of socially conscious director Greg Kwedar, screenwriter Clint Bentley and RTA program participants, sharing their experiences and material—takes itself extremely seriously. It apparently wants to avoid being just another version of the overly familiar “coach/teacher vs. troublesome students/athletes/juvenile delinquents” scenario that has existed in show business for more than 100 years. And it succeeds, mostly because of Domingo’s performance as Divine G.
Ironically, the biggest obstacle to the film’s claims to realism are Domingo’s obvious stage presence and his articulate leadership in the role of Divine G, in contrast to the other characters. For instance, when Divine G launches into a full-force Shakespearean soliloquy, everyone else in the room—the cast includes a number of actual incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men—fades into the background.
Once that hurdle is cleared and the story opens out into actualities, it’s easier to see Domingo’s Divine G in context. He’s under the gun, same as the rest. Until that is established, he looks and behaves like an accomplished professional shuffled into a group of beginners. Domingo is the vital ingredient that distinguishes Sing Sing from a documentary—it prevents it from becoming an African-American variation of The Shawshank Redemption.
The supporting cast makes almost as much impact on Sing Sing as the award-winning leading man. Actor Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin—essentially playing himself—is introduced as a potential enemy of Divine G. But then, as the defensive armor begins to wear off, Divine Eye gets transformed, not exactly into a New Sensitive Male, but a man who has glimpsed his own true possibilities. In Divine Eye’s case, the relaxed, creative qualities that exist up-front in Divine G are hidden at first. When the transformation finally occurs, a ray of sunlight shines on what otherwise might have been a typical, brutal “prison pic.”
The RTA troupe, essentially nine or ten men, has an eye-opening story behind each of its members. As the group’s newest stage production takes shape, the stories burst out of each individual with maximum intensity. The person who sets it all in motion is Paul Raci, playing Brent, an acting coach in New York state’s maximum-security prisons. He’s the one who sets the “feeling tone” for his pupils—some get it, some don’t. One of the ones who does is San Francisco’s Sean San José, a memorable character in his own right.
It so happens that the most truly inspiring movies are the ones that give no obvious indication of that original intention. Whatever inspiration there is occurs “naturally,” a result of filmmaking artistry that dwells beneath the surface. Ideally, what goes missing is the publicity, bravely advertising its upliftingness. Self-consciousness itself is not inherently inspirational. Sing Sing seems aware of this dilemma and tries its best to overcome it. Domingo does the rest.
Opening Aug 15 at the Cinemark CinéArts Santana Row in San Jose. Showtimes are 4, 6:45 and 9:30pm.
