Sing Sing: A preliminary note that this is a prison movie, and it is NOT Sing Street or other similar musicals. Rather this is a movie, released in 2023, is set in the New York State maximum security prison of the same name. Geographically it’s thirty miles north Manhattan on the banks of the Hudson River. It couldn’t be further from NYC. It stars Colman Domingo, who is excellent along with others many of whom have actually are alumni of this program within the prison. The program is rehabilitation through theatre performance by the inmates, as decided by the inmates (by committee). The opening scene is Domingo, playing an inmate Divine G convicted of murder delivering a soliloquy on stage. He finishes this production that the audience doesn’t know, but in short order, that team gets back together and thinks through their next production and the actors that they will need.
The team decides through the suggestion of a new member, who has his own backstory and activities in the yard of the prison, to perform a comedy. They ask a director (also an inmate) to write a screenplay incorporating various plays over time and string it together. The details are not nearly as important than the relationships and how these inmates are interacting with each other. Notably Domingo doesn’t get the role that he was hoping for, and despite the sleight, he of course movies forward. We learn that he was instrumental in getting this program started here. He is hoping for a review of his case, because he has found new information which would have an impact on it (much like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank).
I like this movie. Much like Shawshank, there is the friendship and relationships among the inmates. The principal inmate befriends and assists the new player in the play who has a checkered past and doesn’t feel as though he has earned a second chance. This is in contrast to Domingo. I liked the story and the acting especially by the former inmates and participants in the program. This isn’t quite as good as Shawshank, but then again this is a Top 3 movie for me of all time. Still it brings a humanity to these inmates who are generally dismissed and ignored by society as they are the shunned criminals. But they are also people and seek fulfillment for the days that they have ahead of them. I think that this is a quality installment in the genre.
Mr and Mrs Smith: I had hestitated to watch this Prime series (only 1 season) because I was feeling that this was a series based on or a remake of the 2005 film with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. It isn’t that. Rather it is a spy series, but with two people looking for a job to pay bills who are placed together as an impromptu team. They don’t know one another. They need to play as a married couple, and then complete missions that are assigned to them. Like Charlie from TV show Charlie’s Angels, they get terse, short notes about their next assignment. The notes come from computer instant messages as opposed to a live phone call. Nevertheless there is a lot of room for interpretation of what is meant. They are rarely shown until the end (sometimes) what it is. A premise such as this will live and die with the actors involved. Do you believe them, do you care about them, and are you engaged enough to be interested in their exploits. The two actors are Donald Glover (as John Smith) and Maya Erskine (as Jane Smith). There are eight episodes in Season 1, and I can tell you that there is another season coming.
As discussed above, the series will be successful based on the chemistry between the characters. There are some notable guest stars for some episodes like John Tuturro in the early episode where the couple must follow the high bidder from a silent auction. Things don’t always go as planned. There is chemistry brought fairly quickly to these two newly married people despite their protests at the beginning to not have any romantic involvement. It is early days in this and I will stay with it for a couple more episodes. There were plenty of accolades for the actors for awards. Notably there were Golden Globe nominations. At this point I am not seeing it, but I will reserve thoughts on that until I have seen more. So stay tuned on this front.
Mondays With Robbie 