A film version of the Broadway musical in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life.
Pam says: “In the Heights” has everyone humming already and with good reason! It’s bold, vibrant, and intoxicating as it sings its universal song. Of course, that’s no surprise with King Midas aka Lin-Manuel Miranda in one of the driver’s seats of this film. Originally written for the stage and based on the book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, Miranda’s vision for the stage version transfers seamlessly over to the silver screen without skipping a beat. And Jon M. Chu who gave us “Crazy Rich Asians,” brings his unique signature flare to boost the story’s decibel level to reach everyone, no matter their heritage or background.
To read the review in its entirety, go to: https://www.daily-journal.com/life/entertainment/reel-talk-stage-to-screen-musical-reaches-new-heights/article_d3da2790-c95b-11eb-91cd-cb1a6466c319.html or http://reelhonestreviews.com/in-the-heights-an-energetically-bold-and-vibrant-universal-story/
Chuck says:
To be sure, critics are a hyperbolic bunch. If we love a film, we will praise it to the heavens. If we despise one, our expressions of disdain will border on the offensive. That being said, I don’t think what I’m about to say is an exaggeration as all – Jon Chu’s adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” is, without question, the most energetic, exuberant, lively film you will see this year. Bursting with enthusiasm and life, it’s a movie that, for good or ill, bowls you over, a powerhouse production so determined to impress, its cast pulls out all the stops in every scene.
It’s also a film that overstays its welcome. While sincere, it restates its message of Latinx pride so often and in such an overt manner, it threatens to alienate its audience. Far too long at two hours and twenty minutes, its repetitious nature begins to grate, so much so, the question “Is this ever going to end?” may cross your mind more than once.
There are multiple storylines at play, however each deals with the same conflict – how do you stay true to your heritage and culture while trying to succeed in a society that expects you to assimilate? Usnavi (Anthony Ramos, in a star-making performance) longs to re-open the restaurant his father owned in the Dominican Republic before coming to the States, yet he feels compelled to stay in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights to run the family bodega. Then there’s Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), who longs to take the fashion world by storm and move uptown to prove she belongs with the best of designers. Meanwhile, Daniela (Daphne Rubin-Vega) is readying to move her salon to the Broadway area; conversely, Nina (Leslie Grace) has returned from her first year at Berkley, having dropped out. She keeps this from her father (Jimmy Smits) and friends, ashamed as they all look to her as the one who will leave the Heights and do great things.
The story is driven by Miranda’s vibrant music and Chu’s elaborate staging, sequences that are at times simultaneously invigorating and exhausting. The title number which begins the film follows Usnavi about the neighborhood, introducing the key characters and ending at the main intersection, its denizens dancing as far as the eye can see. Chu serves notice in this 10-minute tour de force – he and his cast are here to impress and they succeed more times than not. “96,000” develops into an invigorating Busby Berkley-like extravaganza the unfolds at the neighborhood’s public pool, while “Atencion,” in which the neighborhood’s matriarch Abuela (Olga Merediz) reflects on her life, is the very definition of a showstopper.
You’ll likely want to stand up and cheer at the end of each of these numbers, the sheer physical and emotional effort put into them by the performers worthy of praise. For me, it all became a bit much, a party that goes on too long where you end up looking for a polite way to leave. Your mileage may vary.
Be that as it may, completely ignoring “Heights” would be akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Ultimately, the good outweighs the bad; the film’s likable cast and their youthful exuberance are simply too entertaining to dismiss, their efforts so earnest, only a complete curmudgeon would fail to give them their due. In the end, you realized that like so many of its characters, Chu refuses to compromise in his approach, one that does the film’s theme justice, as it is one that needs to be heard loud and clear.
3 Stars
