by Foster Harlfinger, Contributing Writer
Originally slated for a June 2020 release, the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2008 Broadway musical, In the Heights was pushed back as a result of the pandemic, though this is neither the first nor the last time you will hear that phrase about a 2021 release. The film stars Hamilton alum Anthony Ramos as the film’s lead, Usnavi de la Vega, the owner of a small bodega in Washington Heights. Ramos is perfectly cast here, capturing both Usnavi’s wide-eyed, youthful innocence as well as his passionate and determined nature.
As with all musicals, your enjoyment of In the Heights will largely depend on your appreciation of its music. However, if the gentleman seated to my right’s enthusiastic knee-drumming in the theater is any indication, the music in this film will be a hit. The younger, up-and-coming members of the cast are all given the chance to shine musically, and Ramos is poised to become the next in a growing line of Hamilton breakout stars. Reprising her role from the original Broadway production, Olga Merediz gives a particularly affecting performance as Abuela Claudia, the matriarchal figure on Usnavi’s block. I would not be surprised if we were to hear the name Olga Merediz mentioned more frequently as we approach this year’s awards season.
In addition to being a well-directed and suitably flashy musical, In the Heights offers an authentic depiction of life in Washington Heights, a neighborhood often ignored in most Manhattan-set films. Jon M. Chu takes the helm here, following up his success from Crazy Rich Asians. It would be a challenge to find many directors in Hollywood with a stranger career trajectory than Chu. His previous directorial credits include Step Up 3D, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Now You See Me 2, and two feature length Justin Bieber documentaries (Never Say Never and Believe). However, in his two most recent outings, Chu seems to have found his wheelhouse. Neither Crazy Rich Asians nor In the Heights seek to reinvent the wheel, but both know exactly what they want to accomplish, and they do it well.
At its core, In the Heights is a story about dreams. The film opens with a young child asking the question, “What does sueñito mean?” as the words appear in Spanish on a darkened screen. “Sueñito? It means little dream,” Usnavi replies. The film grapples with the messy nature of these dreams; pursuing one often means leaving another behind. Usnavi dreams of rebuilding his parents’ business in the Dominican Republic, though that would mean leaving behind his family in the Heights. Elsewhere, Usnavi’s friend Benny dreams of opening his own business, while his longtime crush Vanessa dreams of a life outside of working at her neighborhood salon. In a clever bit of wordplay from Miranda, Usnavi’s cousin Sonny is a dreamer in more than one sense of the word, dreaming of obtaining legal status in the States as a result of his being a Dreamer — an undocumented immigrant who entered the country as a minor. Beyond these hopes and aspirations, the film also explores the sadness which comes from inheriting a dream which is not your own. We see this with Benny’s girlfriend Nina, who no longer wishes to pursue a college education at Stanford University despite her father’s wishes. Perhaps the most striking reflection on the nature of dreams comes from Abuela Claudia, though I will save this moment for those who have not yet seen the film.
Fittingly, the film incorporates gorgeous dreamlike imagery into its visual style. Characters gracefully walk across the sides of buildings, tapestries flow from the sky, and manhole covers rotate to the sound of a record scratch in the world Chu has crafted. When watching this film, one can’t help but think of West Side Story, another Manhattan-based musical with a heavy Spanish influence. Interestingly, In the Heights was filmed merely a few blocks away from Steven Spielberg’s upcoming retelling of West Side Story. Miranda couldn’t help himself from sneaking over to Spielberg’s set when filming his charming cameo appearance for In the Heights. I suspect that several years from now we will view this pair of films in a similar light to There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men — two similarly themed films shooting within minutes of each other and competing for awards attention in the same year. This saga is even more fascinating when one considers that it was Spielberg himself who first launched Chu’s career after viewing one of his short films.
In the Heights will inevitably suffer from comparisons to Miranda’s Hamilton, which had more wide-ranging musical influences and was more epic in scale, though In the Heights ultimately feels more personal. While Hamilton will remain Miranda’s crowning achievement, I wouldn’t be surprised if a good number of audience members find themselves connecting with In the Heights on a deeper level. It’s the sort of film that will benefit greatly from rewatching with subtitles to pick up on the moments of subtle, lyrical wordplay from Miranda (of which there are plenty). Though the plot is fairly straightforward, there is some intricate character work being done which may be difficult to follow for those unfamiliar with the original show. In the Heights may not be a perfect film, and it is likely 20 minutes too long, but its charm cannot be denied. If you are a fan of musicals or Lin-Manuel Miranda’s previous works, you should strongly consider watching In the Heights.
Grade: A-
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