Greetings again from the darkness. Since I missed this one on its initial run earlier this year, it became part of my end of year movie marathon where I catch up on the films that slipped through during the previous few months. Even though the premise doesn’t much sound like one I’d embrace, I’m so glad I worked this one into the schedule. On the surface, following a group of prisoners as they work to put on a stage presentation hardly sounds like a desirable form of entertainment, but what a pleasant surprise this one turned out to be.
Buckle up for a second as I try to explain the foundation of this one. John H Richardson had his article “The Sing Sing Follies” published in Esquire magazine. The article was based on Brent Buell’s play “Breakin’ the Mummy Code” which was a prison stage production. The story was enhanced by former prisoners Clarence Divine Eye Maclin and John Divine G Whitfield, and the screenplay was co-written by Cline Bentley and the film’s director Greg Kwedar. Furthermore, Divine Eye and Divine G are both characters in the film, with Clarence Maclin portraying himself. What a wonderfully tangled web of production this is.
The amazingly talented Colman Domingo (MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, 2020) plays Divine G, the unofficial ringleader of the local RTA (Rehabilitation Through Arts). While he works as a recruiter and writer for the troupe, it’s Brent Buell (played by Paul Raci, SOUND OF METAL, 2019), who directs and co-writes the productions. The dynamics change quickly when new guy, Divine Eye (Maclin), shows up to audition for the lead role that typically goes to Divine G. The two men couldn’t be much different as Divine G is an energetic and artsy guy who smiles a lot, while Divine Eye is an intimidating hulk of a man whose stone-faced expression only changes when he sneers.
It’s quite interesting to see the new play come together after suggestions from the cast include such aspects as time travel, Hamlet, Gladiators, Robin Hood, and Freddie Kreuger. About the time we get comfortable watching this group of men bond for the purposes of the show, reality strikes back in the form of parole hearings. Despite the distraction, these men never forget they are incarcerated and have little daily freedom. It’s especially tough and unfair and heart-breaking when one has been imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit.
Much of the cast is made up of men who were previously imprisoned, including Clarence Maclin, who along with Colman Domingo (especially expressive in close-ups) delivers a powerhouse performance. The score by Bryce Dessner (THE TWO POPES, 2019) is terrific, and director Kwedar includes vintage clips at the end of the actual prison shows. Despite the feel-good nature of the prison shows, there is an underlying message that happy endings are not guaranteed. Let’s just hope no parents mistake this for the 2016 PG-rated animated film, SING.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. With a population of more than 20 million people, Mumbai is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. It would seem impossible to feel alone or isolated in such a place. In this follow-up to her feature film debut, A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING (2021), Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia begins with a documentary style overview of the city with multi-dialect voiceovers recapping personal experiences with life in the city. “In Mumbai, there is work and money.”
Greetings again from the darkness. As a nineteen-year-old college dropout, Robert Zimmerman traveled from his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota to New York City so that he could play music and visit his folk hero, Woody Guthrie, who was hospitalized with Huntington’s Disease. Of course, Zimmerman became known as Bob Dylan, and his musical genius continues to this day – more than 60 years and counting. Those early formative years are recounted here by writer-director James Mangold (WALK THE LINE, 2005; 3:10 TO YUMA, 2007; FORD V FERRARI, 2019) and co-writer Jay Cocks (GANGS OF NEW YORK, 2002), who used Elijah Wald’s 2015 book, “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan and the Night that Split the Sixties” as inspiration.
Greetings again from the darkness. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman long ago entrenched herself as one of the best and most daring actors working today. Not one to shy away from risky material, she’s appeared in such films as EYES WIDE SHUT (1999), DOGVILLE (2003), BIRTH (2004), and THE NORTHMAN (2022) to name just a few. It’s her talent and willingness to put herself out there that has earned such respect among peers and fans. However, despite that admiration, this latest is one of my least favorite films of the year, and one that I found almost no positives to discuss. I will readily admit this opinion puts me in the extreme minority.
Greetings again from the darkness. Claressa Shields’ story is inspirational, and yet it’s so much more than that. She’s an extraordinary person with a remarkable story. She doesn’t just inspire young girls to pursue sports, she motivates us all to pursue our dreams with passion and tenacity. It’s only fitting that the first feature film directed by renowned cinematographer Rachel Morrison centers on a barrier-breaking woman. Ms. Morrison was the first woman to receive a Best Cinematography Oscar nomination for her work on MUDBOUND (2017). The screenplay was written by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT, 2016), and he’s also a producer on the film.
Greetings again from the darkness. I’ve said it many times, and it still holds true, Oscar winner Pedro Almodovar is the most accomplished male filmmaker when it comes to creating interesting female characters and spinning female-centric stories. Almodovar’s first English-language feature-length film is one he’s adapted from the 2020 novel, “What Are You Going Through”, by Sigrid Nunez. It features two Oscar winners, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, both extraordinarily talented.
Greetings again from the darkness. Too many view WWII as just another page in history books, when in fact, so much changed around the globe because of that war. Almost 80 years later, the war continues to provide stories for filmmakers, and when it comes to storytelling, few do it better than this latest from writer-director (actor-turned-filmmaker) Brady Corbet and his co-writer (and romantic partner) Mona Fastvold. The two had previously collaborated on THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER (2015) and VOX LUX (2018).
Greetings again from the darkness. Some filmmakers have earned the benefit of the doubt to the point where each film they release is worthy of consideration. Luca Guadagnino is one such filmmaker. He first captured my attention with I AM LOVE (2009) and has since followed that with such interesting films as A BIGGER SPLASH (2015), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017), SUSPIRIA (2018), BONES AND ALL (2022), and CHALLENGERS, his first film released in 2024. This time he and his CHALLENGERS screenwriter, Justin Kuritzkes, take on the 1985 William S Burroughs novella, “Queer”, which was linked to his 1953 novel, “Junkie”. Taking on the writing of William S Burroughs is challenging enough as a reader, much less as a filmmaker.
Greetings again from the darkness. J.D. Salinger once wrote, “Mothers are all slightly insane.” Rachel Yoder’s critically acclaimed 2021 novel has been adapted for the big screen by writer-director Marielle Heller, and it seems to confirm the Salinger theory. Ms. Heller has previously directed A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (2019), CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? (2018), THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (2015). She excels in projects that focus on human nature.
Greetings again from the darkness. I’ll give you the set-up and you tell me how it ends. A workaholic real estate developer drives his yellow Porsche from Chicago to a middle-of-nowhere Ohio farm after his sister and brother-in-law die in a car crash. He’s there to sign paperwork for a foster family to take the four brothers left behind. However, there’s a glitch, and the stressed-out uncle is forced to extend his time with the four boys. Since, we can all guess how this story ends, the determining factor on whether it’s worth watching is what happens in-between.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 