In the Heights

It 's a big, sprawling movie about a Hispanic block in upper Manhattan's Washington Heights, and how each of them has his or her own dream, most of which are some variation of getting out of Washington Heights. It's a steady, dependable sort of multi-generational plot that was paying Fanny Hurst's bills more than a century ago, the stories and dreams seem well told, even if there are too may of them to keep in your head when we return to a particular character. It's also a musical, the one that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote and directed and starred in to make his bones. John Chu has taken over the direction and Anthony Ramos the role.

There's some handsome, if not original choreography in this movie, bits lifted from WEST SIDE STORY and ROYAL WEDDING. It follows the tendency to make a big production number out of every dance. Until the next to last one, I experienced the despair I so often feel looking at modern movie musicals, convinced they've forgotten how to move the camera, but instead cut, cut, cut. The last dance, however, showed they hadn't. They just would rather do a zip cut than plan out the complex movements.

Sigh. Still, the songs were surprisingly strong, particularly "Paciencia Y Fe", sung by Olga Merediz. It's a skilled and enthusiastic cast, and it makes me hope that Hollywood will go back to making musicals, that are more than Broadway musicals filmed in front of a proscenium arch.

I think Lin-Manuel Miranda is incredibly talented, and thought "Hamilton" was incredible (although I've only seen it on Disney+, and sadly never on stage.) Needless to say, I was looking forward to this musical slice-of-life set in the vibrant neighborhood of Washington Heights in uptown Manhattan. The film centers around a bodega owner named Usnavi, whose parents immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. Joyous and filled with energy, the movie's music is often incredibly well done. Lin-Manuel Miranda's lyrics are fast, kinetic, and clever, combined with plenty of well-choreographed singing and dancing. The film also does an outstanding job showing the diversity, pluralism and cultural heritage of Washington Heights, and the various communities and cultures found there.

With its catchy music and thoughtfully inclusive cultural representation, the film is certainly a crowd pleaser. I'm happy to say that the audience I saw it with applauded after many of the musical numbers, and also gave a hearty applause at the end. It's certainly great to see an audience in a theater respond to a film like that again. That said, the film does fall short of greatness for a few reasons. It could have used more of a plot in between its musical numbers, which is part of the reason why it's not quite as impactful as something like "Hamilton." Usnavi is a generally engaging protagonist, but some of the other characters could have been more developed. Finally, the film does run a bit too long. Being a bit thin on plot but comparatively lacking in impressive musical set pieces compared to the rest of the film, the second act certainly feels like it drags a bit in comparison to the first and third acts. Yet despite these criticisms, there's something truly radiating about the film's vibrancy and joyful enthusiasm--which is, frankly, what we all need right now. Recommended. 7.5/10.

This movie is the feel-good summer hit we all have needed for the past year. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be transported to Washington Heights. Every facet of this movie is executed perfectly. The acting is amazing. The songs are amazing. Unlike most movie musicals, this movie isn't trying to emulate Broadway. It very much uses filmic language to tell a unique story through a unique style. Go see it on the biggest screen you can, you won't regret it.

On a beach, Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) tells a group of youngsters about a place called Washington Heights in the faraway Nueva York. It's the days before the 1999 blackout. Usnavi runs a bodega but dreams of returning to his childhood home of Dominican Republic. He has a crush on the beautiful Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) who dreams of being a fashion designer. Nina returns from Stanford and is unwilling to go back especially if her father Kevin Rosario (Jimmy Smits) has to sell off his business to pay the tuition.

It's a Lin-Manuel Miranda musical directed by Jon M. Chu. I really loved some of this. It is too long and probably has too many story elements. The two main young couples could be combined into a simpler single Romeo and Juliet romance. It would allow the DACA story to have more space to breathe. Despite all the hot young things, the most emotional song is Abuela's powerful life story. I do like the visual of Vanessa running down the empty street with the fabrics flowing down the buildings. I don't know if it's possible but Vanessa may be too beautiful. I would have liked for Nina's college drama to be shown. The emotional climax is really Abuela's song and the DACA protest. The movie drags on a bit long after that although that is a fine ending. The main theme of this movie is dream which does present a minor problem. By itself, it does not give that much kinetic energy to the story. Everybody is just pining for money (from the lotto) to make their dreams come to life. All in all, I love quite a bit of this even if it is long.

A friend who hopped on the Hamilton bandwagon relative early (with the original cast on Broadway) said to me, "I think this guy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, may be a freakin' (word substitution there) genius!" Naturally, I assumed that was the hyperbole common to those who think they've discovered something that is solid gold both. But having seen "Hamilton" and his earlier stage musical work, "In the Heights," translated to the big screen, it's getting pretty difficult to argue with that assessment. This one is about the hopes and dreams of its many and varied characters, just as "Hamilton"is about the hopes and dreams of the United States' founding fathers.

The "Heights" in question is Washington Heights, a big Apple neighborhood at the north end of the isle of Manhattan populated primarily by people of color, and where Lin grew up. Quiara Alegría Hudes adapted for the screen her book for her musical stage play. The notable director of "Crazy Rich Asians," Jon M. Chu, directs the energetic proceedings here. And of course, like Hamilton, all the music (from salsa to beats of merengue and bachata, to bomba y plena) and all the lyrics (which are almost exclusively hip-hop) are from the one-and-only Lin-Manuel. (A plump and bearded Lin appears in a mostly comic, near-cameo role that I won't spoil for you.) Combine all this with the endless joy of choreography & constant dancing and the innovative D. P. techniques (the cast says no harnesses were used in the "side-of-the-building" scene, which raises a serious question: "WTF?!?") and you have a real winner for generations of immigrant New Yorkers and their off-spring and the whole Latinx community, and a "West Side Story" for a new millennium. Highly recommended!