Wikipedia

Sing Sing (2024 film)

Sing Sing is a 2024 American drama film directed by Greg Kwedar, who co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced with Clint Bentley.[2] Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, the film centers on a group of inmates involved in the creation of theatrical stage shows through the program.[3] It stars professional actors Colman Domingo and Paul Raci, alongside many real-life formerly incarcerated men who were themselves alumni of the program during their incarceration, including Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin and Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez.[3][4][5]

Sing Sing
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGreg Kwedar
Screenplay by
  • Clint Bentley
  • Greg Kwedar
Story by
Based on
  • "The Sing Sing Follies"
    by John H. Richardson
  • Breakin' the Mummy's Code
    by Brent Buell
Produced by
  • Monique Walton
  • Clint Bentley
  • Greg Kwedar
Starring
CinematographyPat Scola
Edited byParker Laramie
Music byBryce Dessner
Production
companies
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • September 10, 2023 (2023-09-10) (TIFF)
  • July 12, 2024 (2024-07-12) (United States)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.2 million[1]

The film premiered in the Special Presentations program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[6] It was released by A24 in the United States on July 12, 2024.

Premise

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Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing Correctional Facility (one of the world's most infamous maximum security prisons) for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a small theatre group, alongside other incarcerated men as they attempt to stage their own original production, Breakin' the Mummy's Code.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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In 2022, it was reported that Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, and Sean San José were cast and that they would act alongside former incarcerated actors, including Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin. Inspired by the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, the story was developed by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Maclin and John "Divine G" Whitfield, with the screenplay being written by Bentley and Kwedar.[8][9][10] The latter also came onboard to direct while Monique Walton joined as producer alongside Bentley and Kwedar.[11][12][13]

Maclin started acting as an inmate in Sing Sing. According to Maclin, the experience of acting in the film, along with his time in the prison and the transformative theatre program, changed the course of his life.[5]

In exchange for a percentage of equity, variating based on level of overall production involvement, all cast and crew agreed to be paid the same daily salary, thus ensuring a lower budget with increased profitability potential. As a result, A24 and Black Bear Pictures came onboard to fully finance the film.[14]

Filming

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Sing Sing was filmed over the course of 19 shooting days in July 2022, across multiple decommissioned correctional facilities, a tough environment to be in, logistically and for formerly incarcerated actors to return to, even with a counselor in tow. "It's all concrete and there's just no airflow," said Bentley, adding "But whenever the alumni were filming together, they brought so much joy that it far surpassed any of the misery of filming in that place. Walking into the space they'd created was like walking into color in The Wizard of Oz."[15] The three major filming locations were split between the decommissioned Downstate Correctional Facility and nearby Hudson Sports Complex, both of which doubled for different exteriors and interiors of the real Sing Sing prison, plus Beacon High School in Upstate New York, where the RTA theatre shows were filmed.[16]

Cinematography

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Cinematographer Pat Scola shot the film on 16mm. "When we scouted the Downstate Correctional Facility, one of the things I found both impressive and oppressive, was the number of windows and the natural daylight coming through them," Scola recalled. "Beyond the confines of the prison walls and the razor wire, you can see trees and forests in the distance. That element of tragedy – that you can see the world out there, but can't actually go and touch it, that the place was actually light and warm, and not bleakly lit with fluorescents – was really striking. We made the decision to allow the spaces to light themselves naturalistically and speak to the visual story we were looking to tell." As for shooting on 16mm film, Scola said, "In this story, the human face was our landscape, often with very intimate close-ups. The taller nature of the 1.66:1 frame allowed us to create that kind of intimate portraiture, and we used the 25mm a great deal during production ... The Ultra 16 lenses are small, simple and fast, typically T1.3, and give great optical performance on 16mm film."[16][17][18]

Music

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Bryce Dessner composed the film's score, which was released by Milan Records on July 12, 2024.[19]

Elaborating on the process of the biggest dramatic considerations he took while composing, Dessner explained, "The film itself has elements of documentary. It has real-life characters who were in the program, it has a play within the film, and it has a sense of creative freedom or finding your horizon. These characters are finding their humanity, rebuilding themselves through the arts, and dreaming beyond the walls of where they're confined. The music kind of felt in that space. It was the horizon, or the poetry, of the whole thing. I was relating to that. I wasn't really scoring tension or drama or the little bits of conflict that happen. There are some darker cues, but in general, the music feels like this sort of river running under the film."[20]

Sing Sing: Original Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."Lysander"1:27
2."Sing Sing"2:04
3."Auditions"4:43
4."Portal to Portal"4:16
5."Blades"3:06
6."Perfect Place"2:14
7."Escape"2:53
8."Song & Dance"2:31
9."Miguelito"1:16
10."Slow Time"2:24
11."Backstage"5:14
12."The Void"3:31
13."Circles"0:35
14."Come Home"2:11
15."Homeward"1:01
16."Seven Years of Curtain Calls"2:05
17."The Gate"1:25
Total length:40.56

Marketing

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To promote the film, A24 offered free screenings "hosted" by Common, Stephanie Hsu, Liza Koshy, Natasha Lyonne, Bette Midler, the Brooklyn Nets and Gabrielle Union, in participating AMC Theatres from August 22 to 28. Variety noted that while "A24 is looking to position Sing Sing as a major awards player ... [its] campaign is uniquely audience-facing, as opposed to targeting Oscar voters later in the awards season".[21]

Release

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The film premiered in the Special Presentations program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was acquired by A24.[22]

It was released in the United States in a limited release on July 12, 2024, before expanding to a wider release on August 2.[23]

Reception

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Critical

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 138 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "A moving celebration of art's redemptive power, Sing Sing draws its estimable emotional resonance from a never better Colman Domingo and equally impressive ensemble players."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[25]

ABC News' Peter Travers declared the acting of Domingo as "simply stupendous" and highly praised the film in his review, writing: "Sing Sing is one of the best and most powerful movies you'll see this year. Despite the grim surroundings, it has a heart full to bursting and a spirit that soars."[26] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film "gloriously lionhearted and brilliantly rendered" and considered Domingo's performance as "award-worthy work", concluding that the film "will be remembered for the amazing, multilayered, complex and shining work by Domingo and the entire ensemble".[27] Though she believed the film "shoulders some heavy-duty ideas about forgiveness and redemption", Stephanie Zacharek of Time believed that it recognized the value and delight of pure play, writing: "It's easy, and comfortable, to pass judgment [about incarcerated individuals]. But Greg Kwedar's true-to-life prison drama Sing Sing asks more of us: If we believe in our own capacity for growth and change, how can we not extend that good faith to other individuals who have made mistakes?"[28]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Deauville American Film Festival September 6–15, 2024 Grand Special Prize Greg Kwedar Pending [29]
Golden Trailer Awards May 30, 2024 Best Independent Trailer Reality Trailer, A24, and Mark Woollen & Associates Nominated [30]
Miami Film Festival April 5–14, 2024 Impact Award Greg Kwedar Won [31]
Seattle International Film Festival May 20–27 2024 Golden Space Needle Award: Best Film Greg Kwedar Won [32]
Southwest Film & TV Festival March 8–16, 2024 Audience Award: Festival Favorite Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton, and Clint Bentley Won [33]

References

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  1. ^ "Sing Sing". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved August 18, 2024. 
  2. ^ Jackson, Angelique (November 15, 2023). "CAA Signs 'Sing Sing' Filmmakers Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley". Variety. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Galuppo, Mia (September 8, 2023). "Toronto: How the Formerly Incarcerated Cast of 'Sing Sing' Found Shooting the Prison Drama 'Cathartic'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  4. ^ Richardson, Kalia (August 1, 2024). "How the Cast of 'Sing Sing' Broke Free from Prison to the Big Screen". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Iscoe, Adam (July 30, 2024). "How Clarence Maclin Went from Sing Sing to 'Sing Sing'". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  6. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 24, 2023). "TIFF Lineup Unveiled Amid Strikes: Awards Contenders 'Dumb Money', 'The Holdovers', 'Rustin'; Starry Pics for Sale with Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Michael Keaton, Viggo Mortensen & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "'Sing Sing': A Film by A24 and Rehabilitation Through the Arts". Rehabilitation Through the Arts. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  8. ^ Sherman, Rachel (July 12, 2024). "For This Drama, Some Actors Returned to Prison by Choice". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Ryan, Patrick (August 15, 2024). "How 'Sing Sing's' cast of formerly incarcerated men inspired Colman Domingo". USA Today. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Cuby, Michael (August 22, 2024). "The Inside Story of 'Sing Sing's' Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program". Elle. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  11. ^ Daniels, Robert (July 11, 2024). "High Noon: Greg Kwedar and Monique Walton on 'Sing Sing'". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Everette, Phyllis (August 13, 2024). "'Sing Sing': Austin's Producer Monique Walton Answers the Call". Soulciti. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  13. ^ Christine (August 20, 2024). "Director Greg Kwedar, Producer Monique Walton & Writer Clint Bentley Talk About the Transformative Power of Art, Theater in 'Sing Sing'". AMFM Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Galuppo, Mia (July 12, 2024). "'Sing Sing' Filmmakers Paid Everyone on Set the Same and Now Their New Company Wants to Do It Again". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Lee, Ashley (July 12, 2024). "How the prison-set 'Sing Sing' captures the magic of acting". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "DP Pat Scola harnessed the glow of KODAK 16mm film to bring warmth and honesty to director Greg Kwedar's affecting drama 'Sing Sing'". Kodak. August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  17. ^ Blair, Iain (August 1, 2024). "Cinematographer Spotlight – DP Pat Scola". Cinematography World. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  18. ^ James, Daron (July 18, 2024). "'Sing Sing' Cinematographer Pat Scola on Capturing a Raw, Moving Portrait of Humanity". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  19. ^ "'Sing Sing' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. July 8, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  20. ^ Danoff, Owen (August 20, 2024). "'Sing Sing' Composer Bryce Dessner Talks Scoring A24's Beautiful Prison Drama". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (August 22, 2024). "A24 Offering Free Screenings of 'Sing Sing' at AMC, Hosted by Natasha Lyonne, Bette Midler and Brooklyn Nets (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  22. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 15, 2023). "A24 Lands U.S. Rights on Toronto Buzz Title 'Sing Sing' starring Colman Domingo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  23. ^ Hall, Gerrad (May 9, 2024). "Colman Domingo on his emotional prison drama 'Sing Sing' and its arts rehabilitation program". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "Sing Sing". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 22, 2024.  
  25. ^ "Sing Sing". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  26. ^ Travers, Peter (July 12, 2024). "Review: Colman Domingo is simply stupendous in 'Sing Sing'". ABC News. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  27. ^ Roeper, Richard (July 30, 2024). "'Sing Sing': Making theater gives incarcerated men a sense of freedom in one of the year's best films". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  28. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (July 12, 2024). "The Imagination Flies Free in 'Sing Sing's' Maximum-Security Prison". Time. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  29. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (August 8, 2024). "Deauville American Film Festival Unveils 50th Anniversary Competition Line-Up". Screen Daily. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  30. ^ "The GTA24 Nominees" (PDF). Golden Trailer Awards. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  31. ^ Earl, William (March 6, 2024). "Miami Film Festival Sets Lineup with 'Thelma' Opening and 'Ezra' as Closing Night Screening". Variety. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  32. ^ Carson, Lexi (May 19, 2024). "Seattle International Film Festival Awards Top Honors to 'Sing Sing', 'Gloria!'". Variety. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  33. ^ Zee, Michaela (March 13, 2024). "'Bob Trevino Likes It', 'Monkey Man' Lead SXSW Film & TV Festival Audience Awards". Variety. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
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