Finding one's path along with pursuing their dreams can serve as being a powerful narrative in regards to storytelling. Combine that with the inclusion of cultural and societal themes blended within the musical genre, and audiences have an experience that's both dazzling while serving as being a joyous celebration of heritage. That's very much what audiences get with In the Heights, a film version of a popular Broadway musical brought to the screen by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu. In the Heights makes its stage-to-screen debut in a fashion that feels grand in its presentation, along with being enthusiastically sincere in the messages it desires to convey. The film doesn't set itself up as being a typical musical which in itself is a bold move with its cast of freshly young and talented faces mixed with impressive choreography, beautiful cinematography, and fantastic performances and singalong songs making In The Heights stand out as being a big-hearted and moving experience with something it wishes to say regarding representation, hope, a communities perseverance, and loving one's heritage.
Bearing the same name as its stage musical, the plot for In The Heights centers around Usnavi, a sympathetic bodega owner (Anthony Ramos) working in his Washington Heights New York neighborhood as he saves up every penny and dreams of making it back to his Dominican Republic home. Although the story is basic with the formula of a young person wishing to make their dreams come true having been done before numerous times, director Jon M. Chu gives it a new flavor while adding relevance to the scenario the main character finds himself in. At a time where the stories main concepts regarding immigration, carrying pride in ones own culture, the fight for citizenship, gentrification, racism, and the strength of ones own family spark intense debate within the news cycle, they give In The Heights a sense of validity as well as a timely feel that gives it a surreal feeling to audiences with its musical form of storytelling making it an experience that's enchanting and moving for audiences.
One of the key ingredients that make the film charming to watch is the strength of its main cast in regards to both diversity and talent. They not only nail the emotional aspect of their performances, but also with their singing bits. The most impressive work comes from Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera as the films main lovers Usnavi and Vanessa. Ramos comes across as being both charismatic and sympathetic in his role as the bodega owner, who shares an unrequited crush on Barrera's character. Both actors showcase tremendous chemistry on screen with the audience completely buying into their arc regarding true love. The other standouts in the film who wonderfully fill the void when the main leads aren't on the screen are Leslie Grace and Barry Hopkins as Nina and Benny. Like the main leads, both actors show sparks with them convincingly showing the roadblocks their characters experience in their relationship. The two prove to be a fitting supporting duo that both compliments and reinforces the presence of the main stars. Other noteworthy performances include Olga Merediz in a powerful performance as Abuela, the neighborhood matriarch and woman who raised Usnavi after the death of his parents. Jimmy Smits gives an effective performance as Nina's father Kevin, who runs a taxi company along with wanting his daughter to be the more successful than him. Their dynamic feels natural as well as being believable as audiences can relate to their subplot. Gregory Diaz IV delivers a surprisingly scene-stealing performance as Usnavi's cousin Sonny, whose revealed in the story to be a dreamer. The rest of the supporting cast consist of Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, and Dascha Polanco as salon ladies Daniela, Carla, and Cuca The cast for In The Heights plays an enormous role in the film being a big-hearted and vibrant celebration of one's heritage and community with it apparent that the cast give their all with their roles.
The directing by Chu ranks as being on point with him crafting a visually striking musical that draws audiences eyes to the breathtaking New York scenery with the film proudly celebrating Latino heritage. Chu is a filmmaker who knows how to handle honoring a culture in a way that both mesmerizies and enchants the audience rather than feel like an exploitation. Chu gives the film cinematography that's colorful and sharp with the films overall appearance carrying a digital look. The costume and set designs are wonderfully detailed with both blending hand-in-hand in bringing the Washington Heights neighborhood to life. The editing gives the film a slow-burning pace with a rythm of having a scene involving a sing-along before moving onto a more quieter one involving a main characters arc. Although the pacing may make one feel the films 142 minute running time, the setup manages to keep the plot moving along with the audience anticipating the next musical number. The soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda is well-handled with the music managing to be on equal footing with the rest of the film. The key set-pieces involving both the cast members and extras dancing in the streets is stunning to watch with Chu giving the film the appropriate amount of energy demanded. In terms of directing, he proves to be a more than capable choice of handling the story with the overall experience being one that's beautifully executed along with further demonstrating his pure craftsmanship as a filmmaker.
In terms of writing, the screenplay by Quiara Alegria Hudes is well-layered and does an impressive job of transferring its stage play onto the big screen. Having worked on the play herself, Hudes knows these characters and how to make them work on the screen while enhancing the stories authenticity. What she does here is take the musicals storyline and give it a more modernized approach in the era of DACA, Trump, and the battle over obtaining citizenship. Along with these themes, the story also feels much like one regarding community and music with Hudes showing the pride that those living in Washington Heights have for their heritage. The film is about what it means to live in a community with the script carrying multiple subplots that are connected such as the romance between Usnavi and Vanessa with the former dreaming of returning to his homeland in the Dominican Republic, though realizing that entails leaving his true love behind. The subplot involving Nina and her father Kevin is effective in showing the sacrifice that parents make in order for their children to succeed with the latter feeling like an outsider in an environment that's different than what they've been generally accustomed to such as Nina revealing that she felt out of place at Stanford. Their subplot is one of the more powerful ones in the story with Nina's character progression being one of the more impressive ones in the film with her ultimately deciding to help others like Sonny. The script carries bits of dialogue that reinforces the stories connection to the present with Sonny proclaiming in one scene: "They're talking about kicking out all the Dreamers". Characters such as Nina and Sonny's feel as if they've deliberately been advanced throughout the course of the story to bring relatability to the audience in the present, while also adding to the overall freshness of the story. It's also worth noting that the character of Sonny also ends up getting many of the films most memorable lines. Some of the films most effective moments that drive home the magic behind its storytelling are the ones in which the audience gets the chance to see into the soul of the characters such as the quiet moments where Usnavi and Vanessa glance at each other in the bodega, or Abuela contemplating whether to stay with her family or leave this life to be with her mother. The script for In The Heights is one that's well-written and brilliantly finds a way to transform itself into cinematic form in the most epic fashion.
Although it can be debated that the films release was poorly timed given its underwhelming box office numbers and slow-streaming debut on HBO Max, In The Heights is a charmingly effective and upbeat story regarding one's hopes and dreams that hits home for its audience while also showing the power of a community fighting to stand unified through challenging times. As a musical piece, it richly satisfies with its casting, choreography, and songs all coming together to provide audiences with pure entertainment and joy in modern filmmaking form. Despite the technical elements being on top form, it's the films heart that ultimately wins the audience over with its message saying not to give up on one's own dreams. It may not be the piece of cinematic entertainment that audiences were particularly craving for coming out of a year long pandemic with its release being better suited for the latter part of 2021 to compete with award season, but In The Heights is a absorbing and upbeat experience that's more than welcomed based on the pure strength of its storytelling, along with its message of hope in a time where some find themselves questioning if there's any.
Final Verdict: For musical fans and those who enjoy delightfully well-made pieces of storytelling, In The Heights is a musical experience worth watching on HBO Max.
Images Courtesy of Warner Brothers
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