Sing Sing (A24 Exclusive)

There have been a lot of films about the healing power of the arts. There have been a lot of dramas about the down-and-dirty life of prison inmates marking time until their next parole hearing. In a grand convergence of art imitating life imitating art, filmmaker Greg Kwedar turns the lens toward the highly successful prison Rehabilitation Through the Arts program with Sing Sing. 

The story opens with John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo) and his fellow inmates of the RTA program at Sing Sing congratulating themselves for their recent performance, the audience reaction, and making the decision to reach out to new members. A writer incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, Divine is looked at as something of a guru for the program guiding inmates in their performances and helping decide the direction of each show. When brash and raw talent Clarance “Divine Eye” Maclin (as himself) joins the troupe, Divine G’s tether on the company of amateurs begins to fray when they move away from drama and decide to produce a comedy. As the stress of the next production mounts, Divine G faces the challenge of finally being able to present evidence of his innocence to the parole board. 

Talk about one hell of a film. If that’s all I could say for a review and leave it at that, I would. I loved this film. I managed to catch the very last screening of it at my local multiplex during its very brief theatrical run and it instantly became one of my favorite films of the year. I like that this was a prison film without it being specifically about prison. Yes, the men are incarcerated for crimes they did (or did not) commit, but they’re also humans trying to survive the situation. It’s not a story focused on the horrors of prison life so much as the small seeds of inspiration in this regimented dehumanizing existence. 

Lending to the raw authenticity of the film are some of the real-life convicts like Clarence Maclin among other key cast members who went through the actual RTA program at Sing Sing. Even the bonkers play at the center of the story is a real play the inmates performed. The real John “Divine G” Whitfield even drops by for a cameo. From using decommissioned prison facilities and shooting on 16mm film, Sing Sing finds a lot of humanity to celebrate by telling this story. 

A little underseen and undersung, it only made a small splash come Oscar awards season pulling a Best Actor nomination for Colman Domingo, Best Song for Little Bird Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada, with John “Divine G” Whitfield, Clarence Maclin, and director Greg Kwedar pulling nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. My first viewing was late at night and it left me in a thoughtful stupor for days after just thinking about the little ins and outs of the real story and the film. Watching it again on Blu-ray for this review, I was stuck in the same stupor but with the added weight of trying to find something splashy to say about it. We’ve seen films about the healing power of the arts. We’ve seen prison dramas. But we’ve never quite seen the two come together in a form such as Sing Sing where it's irrelevant that the men are guilty or innocent, good men or bad, but that they are men who have a drive to create and become better. 

Vital Disc Stats: The  Blu-ray 
Sing Sing is paroled onto Blu-ray with a single-disc edition from A24, currently, this edition is only available from the A24 Shop. Pressed on a BD50 disc, the disc is housed in the standard A24 digipak packaging with six art cards and housed in a paper slipcase. The disc loads to an animated main menu with standard navigation options.

Shot on 16mm and finished at a 2K digital intermediate, Sing Sing scores a beautiful 1080p 1.66:1 transfer. Beautiful might be a subjective term given the location, but there are moments throughout that are captured beautifully. The day-to-day lives of these men aren’t much to look at but it’s smartly captured letting faces, costumes, and the scenery beyond the walls hold the visual punches. The film grain is apparent but not unsightly, it just looks like a film shot on 16mm which I’ve always thought had a very raw appeal and works well for this film. Details are crisp and clean without issue. Even through the drab prison setting, it’s a very good-looking film, smartly shot, and makes for a lovely 1080p transfer. 

Given the film format and finishing limitations, a 4K transfer might not have been necessary or made sense. But what works beautifully is the Dolby Atmos audio mix. Unlike a lot of action-packed films, Atmos has a more intimate purpose here. It’s something when the bars crank back with that sickening heavy thud and that echo carries upward and out through the channels. The brilliance of the mix is how well it uses locations within the prison. Time in the cells feels tight and foreboding even as Divine G. is typing away writing his next play. But then once the guys are on the stage or practicing their lines the mix opens up and feels more lively and active. 

I’m a little bummed the bonus features aren’t a little more robust for this film. It’s such a great film and an amazingly inspirational true story I’d have loved to see more coverage of the actual RTA program. But of the extras here, the featurette is a nice piece. The weightiest extra is the excellent audio commentary. Deleted scenes are interesting moments, but understandable why they were cut. The audition footage is especially excellent material. 

• Audio Commentary featuring Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton, Parker Laramie, and Pat Scola. 
• Trust the Process Featurette (HD 15:26)
• Sing Sing Correctional Facility Premiere Featurette (HD 2:42)
• Delted Scenes: (HD 17:03 Total) 
• Goodbye Eye
• Cupcake Scene
• Auditions

Sing Sing is a fabulous piece of filmmaking. Characters are immediately personable as they navigate the raw and unnerving expectations of putting on a play while also living the day-to-day life of incarceration. Colman Domingo continues to shine as a lead, I wish this film had gotten more attention because he was deserving of all accolades. The film makes for a lovely Blu-ray release exclusive from the A24 shop offering an excellent A/V presentation with slim but interesting extras. Highly Recommended 

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