One of the most underrated songwriters in music history is Stew. When he wrote a play (Passing Strange), I flew to New York to see it almost 20 years ago when it ran on Broadway. That’s the first time I saw Colman Domingo. And as my wife told Domingo at the Critics Choice Awards last year, “Every time my husband sees you on screen, he says he likes the cut of your jib.”
The first time I, and many San Diegans saw this movie that will surely be nominated for an Oscar – was at the San Diego International Film Festival’s “Film Insiders Series.”
Domingo, who got an Oscar nod for playing Rustin last year, plays John “Divine G” Whitfield. He’s doing time in Sing Sing, but could be innocent (yes, this movie has some serious Shawshank vibes). This is all based on a true story, about a group called “Rehabilitation Through the Arts” which puts on plays, using a cast of the incarcerated. The rate of recidivism for prisoners nationwide is 60% within three years but only 3% for RTA members. Most of the cast members were actually real life members of that troupe. The director (and sometimes writer) of these plays is Brent Buell (played wonderfully by Paul Raci, who played a very similar character in “Sound of Metal”).
Filmmakers Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley underwhelmed me a few years back with a movie that was so promising – Jockey (Clifton Collins Jr. with a rare starring role). They did a lot of research with their second picture, even joining the RTZ program to teach filmmaking.
It’s interesting to watch this acting troupe in the film as they workshop ideas, rehearse scenes, and discuss new prisoners they might ask to join. I found it rather refreshing that we didn’t deal with the usual prison movie stuff (stabbings, rapes, evil prison guards, etc.).
Some things that pop up are rather surprising. There’s a character that dies. There’s another character that’s going to be asked to join – right after they witness him shaking down another prisoner for drug money and realize he’s bad news.
This is easily the best performance I’ve seen Domingo in. There are scenes when we witness the excitement on his face when he’s reading a line from Shakespeare. Other times, it’s the slightly disappointed look when a play he wrote isn’t chosen by the troupe to be performed, or when another prisoner is auditioning for a role he wants. It’s a multi-layered performance and master class in acting. I’m getting teary eyed just thinking about it now.
There are some nice touches of humor throughout the film. And that’s not just because we see the original play they’re performing – Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code – is so utterly ridiculous, with its various cast of characters from history.
The lighting and filming was perfectly done, and it was shot in a correctional facility, which makes the cutaways in various scenes rather powerful.
I found some sections a bit undercooked, and a few scenes went on too long. But watching the vulnerability, humanity, and love of acting…or to hear somebody say that they do this “to become human again, and enjoy things that are not in our reality.”
How can that not warm your heart?
This is the second movie I’ve seen in the last few months that uses something from “Hamlet” in a unique way.
This will make my Top 10 of the year. It’s terrific.
4 stars out of 5.