Set in one of the world’s most notorious prisons, Sing Sing follows a group of inmates involved in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program—a real initiative founded in 1996 that employs professional art teachers to lead theater workshops and other artistic endeavors. The group will attempt for the first time to stage a comedy while also creating their first original production, deviating from the usual presentation of Shakespearean dramas which they usually perform.
The movie strives for authenticity by casting real-life participants from the RTA program and capturing genuine, unscripted interactions on screen. By doing this, it immerses viewers in the program’s process, showcasing how the workshops teaches acting techniques while also displaying the prisoners’ struggles with stage fright and line memorization. The interactions among the inmates, including a clever moment early on when one character points out that another is constantly acting to intimidate those around him, are particularly noteworthy and memorable.
The passive approach chosen by the director, with the camera observing and moving slowly between extreme close-ups, gives the film an almost documentary-like feel. However, the sparse and lackluster score contributes to a sense of slowness and distance. A more melodic score, combined with dynamic editing and cinematography, could have elevated certain scenes, as the final result feels unnecessarily prolonged.
Nonetheless, the intimate glimpses can be compelling due to the performances by the formerly incarcerated cast merged with real actors that, particularly Sean San José and Paul Raci, seamlessly integrate into the ensemble. Playing the protagonist however, Colman Domingo, occasionally overacts, contrasting with his co-star Clarence Maclin, both playing similar larger than life characters. In a confrontation early on between the two, there is a clear difference between someone that is making deliberative acting choices to someone that is embodying a character.
I had a profoundly moving experience watching the movie at TIFF in 2023, hearing firsthand accounts from those involved in the RTA program in the post film Q&A. That moment captured what the movie somewhat does not, the program’s real-life efficacy and the depth of its impact. It does not mention the program’s impressive low recidivism rate (3% vs the real average of 60% in US prisons!) and also does not focus on the actual presentation of the comedy. Raci’s character as well, based on a very resilient human being, could have had 1 or 2 additional scenes. By skipping all these facts and moments, makes it a surprisingly incomplete experience, one that ultimately stands out more for its real-world relevance than for its achievements as a film.