Colman Domingo received his second Oscar nomination for portraying John "Divine G" Whitfield in Sing Sing.
Colman Domingo earns his consecutive Oscar nomination, after receiving one for a truly run-of-the-mill biopic thankfully was able to follow up on that momentum for something far more interesting here. Domingo plays a real person in Divine G one of the men who were part of the real program, where he is surrounded largely by the real life former prisoners of the program, but also Domingo’s real life friend Sean San José as fellow prisoner Mike Mike and Paul Raci as the director of the program Brent Buell. So Domingo in a way has a bit of dual challenge going in one part is to successfully bring basically the reason for his casting via professional cred/talent to the film, but also not actually stick out too much in terms of seeming at all inauthentic within the so much of the rest of the cast that are telling their own true stories meanwhile Domingo is representing the real Diving G, who featured very briefly in the film. So opening the film we basically do get that as we begin with a production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream with Domingo delivering his monologue straight to camera most successfully, most professionally though I think most essentially with a certain zest for the performance beneath the lines as you see the outlet from Domingo in Divine G in this scene. Something we contrast most remarkably by the following scenes where where we watch Divine G going about day in the life of Sing Sing prison, walking around the tall stone walls, sitting in his small cell, listening to the intensity between a guard with a prisoner and even having to drop when an alarm is called in the yard. As much as this is all silent work, it is all great work from Domingo because he manages to grant you the years of doing this, as we see every moment of it as just routine, though importantly routine but not pleasant. It’s not a surprise to drop in the yard, but rather an unpleasant reminder of his life.
So we are contrasted that greatly by Divine G as he works in the committee for the theater group that determines what they’re going to do next and who gets to join the committee. Domingo brings a far greater ease to this and you see much more than just a man in a theater group suddenly and no longer a prisoner. But Domingo doesn’t make it so simple as I really love in the moments where people bring up Divine G’s own writing, Domingo brings a potent humbleness about the man who does like to share his creative spirit but it is against his nature to boast about it. Domingo brings a bit of a retiring quality to it as he conveys a man who is passionate about his work but doesn’t exactly have absolute certainty with his talent either. There’s a particularly strong honesty about his work as such as even his admittance that he can’t write a comedy and notes that “I write satires” as Divine G admitting to what he can and cannot do without any ego to it. We see the guy come up with choosing a new member and decide on potentially recruiting a prison drug dealer Divine Eye (Clarence Maclin). Domingo’s great in the recruitment scene by just what is doing around the asking as there’s a keen eye that Domingo has in each moment of watching Divine Eye, including when Divine Eye goes about hectoring another prisoner in a very much acted performance. Domingo’s own performance of calling Divine Eye out at being an actor is with a knowing near smile of game recognizing game essentially. Domingo brings such a potent sense of the man’s eagerness to find this talent while also doing it in a way that we see the man working with their atypical recruitment situation, therefore has a bit more of an earthy than always artistic approach in his insightfulness.
One of the great things Domingo brings here is really just the charged energy of his performance that enlivens so many scenes by just how much of it he has to share. We get some of this in his scenes with Mike Mike as his and Sean San José’s probable real life chemistry translates so well to the screen. Particularly a moment where they are practicing Divine G’s parole hearing and they go from a genuine grilling where Domingo brings such a potent sense of the character’s hidden frustrations that so naturally segue to just having fun in the moment with his buddy when Mike Mike’s questions go to an unrealistic and silly. The two are great together in that moment and you get such endearing warmth between them that is absolutely lovely to say the least. Of course Domingo can be great fun on his own as well such as when we see him along with a few other actors selling their theater program to some officials by acting out a gladiator scene. Domingo frankly brings more entertainment here than we got in Gladiator II, in just his over the top yet absolutely infectious way of truly playing out the sword fight. As we see in Domingo even when Divine G isn’t playing the most serious of roles, he still will put every ounce of himself into the performance into the moment, and just be so filled with the George C. Scott’s joy of performance, which is multiple layers here as we get the gladiator’s joy of battle, Divine G’s joy of performance, and Domingo’s own joy of performance all in this scene. Acting isn’t all serious, even if it times it is, in Domingo’s portrayal bringing out so much life to the entire experience of an actor.
Something the film does particularly well is combine the process of acting with the process of healing, something we find by focusing on Divine Eye and Divine G’s relationship throughout the film. As Divine Eye comes interested but also very cynical towards the notions of what the theater group can actually offer him. Initially on the serious side Domingo is so good in bringing forth such weaponized passion about the potential, but with this so potent sense of empathy as he tells Divine Eye what can be got from it. I especially adore the moment where he shuts down Divine Eye use of the N word, with just this bluntness of an intolerance of toxicity not in self-righteousness but rather someone with genuine improvement in mind. Part of what we see in their relationship advance as Divine Eye begins to act, even taking the part of Hamlet in their weird comedic hodge podge play they’re doing in this cycle. Something that Domingo plays so well as you do see the edges of disappointment in his reaction, in that he doesn’t love losing out on his desired part, but it also leads him to challenge Divine Eye, who notably had strongly suggested that they do a comedy rather than a serious drama. Domingo’s delivery of confronting Divine Eye over the hypocrisy so effectively because while again that hint of disappointment is there in his own love of the part, there is more so this penetrating desire for empathy and exploration in the man. He asks directly but with care as we see Divine G genuinely trying to get Divine Eye to accept his artistic aspirations and not let himself be held back by all the tough guy grandstanding.
The process scenes of the film are among the best in which we see Divine Eye working the part and through working the part we get Divine G making his suggestions to help the first Divine Eye hone his craft. Domingo’s terrific in just every moment of this as he brings such a sense of the knowledge of the man but also his own talent as he comes in with such distinct charisma and wisdom in these moments. I love it though, especially the way you see that Domingo is aiming his suggestions with Divine Eye in mind. The moment where he pushes Divine Eye to walk not as a prisoner keeping his head down but as a prince of Denmark, Domingo’s way of speaking every word of this has this incisiveness to it, but also this active encouragement. There’s a great evolution to this as they continue on where he helps to get Divine Eye’s Hamlet to be a little less just anger placed and to make his emotion more complicated, more internalized. Even the way Domingo is watching before making the suggestions brings such a needed sense of the man’s mind just going with the idea of acting just being something that is part of his every breath in a certain sense. Bringing the professionalism of a great theater director himself as he pushes Divine Eye with his directness but with always that sense of warmth behind it. Domingo shows how Divine G wants Divine Eye to do his absolute best, and will cut it straight fitting for the man yet still with an unquestioned concern behind it all. Something that extends beyond just their theater practice as Divine Eye begins to pick his mind for more wisdom than just in acting, but also finding a way to get outside of the prison at some point.
Domingo and Maclin also have fantastic chemistry in the way they connect with dealing with the years of prison. When Maclin questioning Divine G’s own losses outside the prison, Domingo finds the right sense of the way Divine G too is definitely holding things and holding things back in his notably short way of not quite dismissing the lives of his family by presenting the way that Divine G has purposefully compartmentalized that aspect of his life so it doesn’t hurt him too much in his incarceration. And something I noticed on re-watch that is very important for a later aspect of the film is that we see in terms of Diving G’s own plight, Domingo performs hesitation to talk about too much unless it is specifically about his opportunities to get out of prison. Domingo doesn’t make so much full repression but rather someone who very much finds a reason for being in what he can do for others. Because what we get when Divine G encourages Divine Eye to properly prepare for his parole hearing, Domingo’s performance carries with it such weight of wisdom with always the accentuation on the potential of the man rather than the negative. Whenever Divine Eye comes up with a self-defeating word, Domingo brings such natural strength to every word in Divine G’s impression repertoire, as each of them is filled with inspiration but a believable inspiration that a man like Divine Eye could believe in. Domingo in these moments accentuating Divine G as someone who can believe in others in many ways more than himself.
This leads into the last act of the film which I still have mixed feelings about because it does a dogpile on Divine G which I don’t hate what is included, I’m just not sure it was all needed or maybe because of the way it does one then the other. But anyways, the first tragedy comes in with the death of Mike Mike from a brain aneurysm, and I will give Domingo all the credit in the world for just his outstanding work in the scene that leads up this between the two performers. There is such earnest connection as each speaks quietly about their lives outside, with such nuanced history in every word combined with the sense of loss mixed so succinctly as one. It’s a beautiful scene, made as such by the performers. And Domingo is also great in showing how shaken Divine G by the loss as we see a man more internalized, quieter and more in his own thoughts. Something that is amplified by also a parole hearing where some evidence that proves his innocence and should guarantee his freedom is missing. All of this I will say in terms of the whole seems like it should’ve either been explored more or left off, just because we get so little of it and it seems like there was a lot in terms of Divine G’s wrongful criminal conviction. HAVING SAID THAT, Domingo is fantastic in the scene, from the way he talks about the crime as a man lost, truly innocent of the facts and just separated from that. When asked about his acting, Domingo brings such sweetness in his little smile that shows just how much he’s gotten out of it and believes in the program. The way he articulates every word with such sincere belief, remarking his own acting with such modesty, while just propping up the collective good works as such a sharp point of happiness for him. Which the board undercuts by asking him if he’s acting to lie in this hearing. A line I don’t love because it feels a little on the nose to beat down Divine G further but HAVING SAID THAT again, Domingo’s reaction to it is just so heartbreaking in the way his flustered way of speaking shows how Divine G never would have believed someone could misinterpret something he finds so pure, and just his quiet horror at their failure to see is devastating. Which follows with a scene of the dress rehearsal where Diving G has a breakdown based on all that he’s gone through, which HAVING SAID THAT, Domingo’s portrayal of the build up is great as you just see for the first time no joy in his performance on any level that just becomes more repressed, more restrained and his final outburst is of a man who really maybe has deferred to much of his pain to help others and offers such ferocity as he lashes out. Domingo delivers such intensity potently and brings forth the weight of all his pain in the moment. Which eventually later Divine Eye calls him out on in such a poignant scene where the student becomes a teacher, and I love Domingo letting Maclin mostly have the moment, and leaving his moments to his reaction where you see the spark grow just as he sees Divine Eye now being the preacher of the message himself. Domingo going from that internalized coldness to just appreciating another again, is all that the scene needs to show Divine G is back. Followed by the actual performance, where Domingo brings just the most lovely honesty in his apology where in his eyes you see someone reaching out for that joy again, which everyone lets him in on. Which then he gets his release, which I do think is a little rushed in terms of pace, but HAVING SAID THAT, Domingo’s performance of just the building jubilation of feeling the warm outside air riding as a free man in a car, says it all. As it isn’t the everyday joy, it is a joy of years of denial and finding such appreciation in even seemingly such a small happiness a free person would take for granted. Domingo delivers an absolutely wonderful performance here that sells the whole concept of the film with such winning passion and charisma, while also even when the film missteps slightly, he does not, delivering honest emotion to every scene and giving such a powerful depiction of a man whose spirit endures through his acting.
