Colman Domingo is able to call emotions both big and small at the drop of a hat and settle perfectly into naturalistic performances that connect with an audience, making his rise to prominence over the past decade or so a joy to watch.
As with all great actors, it was only a matter of time before Domingo was confronted by the ravenous content creators over at Letterboxd. On the red carpet for his movie Sing Sing, the star was asked to give the traditional ‘Four Favourites’. We’ll get to his more interesting picks later, but for now, we have to start with a film that comes up time and time again in these interviews: It’s a Wonderful Life.
“It’s one of my favourite films of all time,” he opined, “I watch it every year around Christmas, and it makes me think about purpose and life and intention”. Frank Capra’s seasonal favourite is one of those movies that just has a stranglehold over these sorts of interviews. So many people from across so many generations have fallen for its earnest charm, no doubt thanks to our habitual viewing habits once December rolls around; even James Stewart himself called it one of his favourites.
“There’s nothing greater than The Godfather,” Domingo continued, simply noting, “It’s cool, great storytelling, man”. Seems like he really has a thing for movies made by Italian-Americans named Frank. The original ‘Godfather’ is another film that cannot stay away from people’s ‘Top Fours’, routinely appearing in lists of the ‘Greatest Movies Ever Made’ and, much like It’s a Wonderful Life, has seemingly lost none of its appeal over the decades. Part II also routinely appears in these discussions, especially when talking about great sequels, apart from Part III that nobody ever seems to mention though…
For his last two choices, Domingo decided to go off the beaten track. “I would also say, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, because one of the most commanding, beautiful performances of Ellen Burstyn,” he said, adding, “It’s a glorious movie”. In the fourth film from Martin Scorsese (and the one that really took things to the next level for him), Burstyn places the eponymous character, a woman who travels across the country with her young son following the death of her husband, an effort for which she was rewarded with an Oscar.
Finally, the baritoned actor broke the cardinal sin of the ‘Four Favourites’ format. “I’m gonna say one of my own movies,” he announced, as everyone nearby wondered what sort of ego trip he was about to embark upon, dropping, “If Beale Street Could Talk. It’s one of my favourite films. I love the way we made it, but also love what it does culturally, and it’s one of James Baldwin’s most beautiful, relevant works. And I’m very proud that I was able to be a part of it too.”
If Beale Street Could Talk, based on Baldwin’s eponymous novel, was Barry Jenkins’ 2018 effort, examining life on the titular Memphis street by following a woman attempting to exonerate her wrongfully arrested boyfriend. It’s a great movie and doesn’t often get the love it deserves, so we’ll let Domingo off for his self-congratulatory final pick.
