Friday, June 11, 2021

In The Heights Review: A Musical Celebration of Love, Life, and Community

Reyna Guerra	...	Dancer Anthony Ramos	Anthony Ramos	...	Usnavi Melissa Barrera	Melissa Barrera	...	Vanessa Leslie Grace	Leslie Grace	...	Nina Rosario Corey Hawkins	Corey Hawkins	...	Benny Olga Merediz	Olga Merediz	...	Abuela Claudia Jimmy Smits	Jimmy Smits	...	Kevin Rosario Gregory Diaz IV	Gregory Diaz IV	...	Sonny Daphne Rubin-Vega	Daphne Rubin-Vega	...	Daniela Stephanie Beatriz	Stephanie Beatriz	...	Carla Noah Catala	Noah Catala	...	Graffiti Pete Lin-Manuel Miranda	Lin-Manuel Miranda	...	Piragüero Mateo Gómez	Mateo Gómez	...	Alejandro Alexa Poller	Alexa Poller	...	Dancer Marc Anthony	Marc Anthony	...	Gapo Patrick Page	Patrick Page	...	Pike Phillips Olivia Perez	Olivia Perez	...	Iris Emiliano Cuesta	Emiliano Cuesta	...	Towel Guy

Release date: June 11, 2021
Running time: 143 minutes
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony RamosMelissa BarreraLeslie GraceCorey HawkinsOlga MeredizJimmy SmitsGregory Diaz IV, Lin-Manuel Miranda

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.

Analia Gomez	...	Rosa Dean Scott Vazquez	Dean Scott Vazquez	...	Sedo (as Dean Vazquez) Mason Vazquez	Mason Vazquez	...	Miggy Delia Ramos	Delia Ramos	...	Crank Vieja James Leyva	James Leyva	...	Valentina (as Valentina) Chris Jackson	Chris Jackson	...	Mr. Softee Truck Driver Susan Pourfar	Susan Pourfar	...	Hannah Hathaway María Hinojosa	María Hinojosa	...	Protest Leader (as Maria L. Hinojosa) Ryan Woodle	Ryan Woodle	...	Mover Doreen Montalvo	Doreen Montalvo	...	Neighbor Lady Ilia Jessica Castro	Ilia Jessica Castro	...	Jessica from the Salon Yesy Garcia	Yesy Garcia	...	Woman in Lobby Jonathan Arana	Jonathan Arana	...	Salon Customer Jennifer Hernandez	Jennifer Hernandez	...	Bad-Ass Girl Amp Ngernrungruangroj	Amp Ngernrungruangroj	...	Hipster Bairam Rizai	Bairam Rizai	...	Young Professional Couple Lavinia Jones Wright	Lavinia Jones Wright	...	Young Professional Couple Alexandra Campos	Alexandra Campos	...	Cab Service Dispatcher Rhapsody James	Rhapsody James	...	Salon Customer 1
In The Heights keeps all of the aspects of the musical but transfers it to the big screen.  It really is an accomplishment to keep the high energy and songs from the Broadway show but translate it to a film format.  In The Heights uses a ton of extras and some great camera angles to reproduce the spectacle of a Broadway show from your living room.  Some of the dance numbers are truly impressive, songs that seem to use the entire neighborhood as extras.  It also helps to showcase the energy by having a bright, colorful style.  This leads to splashes of color from clothes, people, and the general set design.  There are also little colorful effects that are used for emphasis, just to add additional splashes during some scenes.  

But what will really strike you is the story of In The Heights.  It tells a relatable story about struggling with life and staying true to your dreams.  It looks at how hard life is but also looks to the positives of it: of love, of community, and of a shared experience even in struggle.  And the movie also highlights the beauty in everyday life.  I loved when the characters would stop and just listen to the sounds of the block, a reminder for everyone to occasionally stop and appreciate what you have (an urban stop and smell the roses).  It also feels just as relevant now as when the musical debuted a decade ago: it deals with the immigrant experience, discrimination, and how to assimilate into America while still staying true to your heritage.  

And although In The Heights is an impressive accomplishment, the movie does have a few relatively slow areas; probably where linking scenes were added to the Broadway show.  It's not bad, just not as high energy in those areas as I had hoped.  This also results in the songs being a little more spaced out than I expected them to be, but it just makes you anticipate the songs more.  But one aspect of the film that is fun to experience is the influence that In The Heights had on Hamilton.  Some of the song feelings, the expressions, and general musical style feel like a precursor to the later show, which is a fun experience for fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda.  

In The Heights is a celebration of life, love, family, community, and hard work with a bright, colorful style and catchy and impactful music.  

Watch it.

Ariana S. Gomez	...	Young Nina (as Ariana Saintclaire Gomez) Ariana Greenblatt	Ariana Greenblatt	...	Young Nina Hugh M Jones III	Hugh M Jones III	...	Man Washing Car    Directed by  Jon M. Chu	Writing Credits   Quiara Alegría Hudes	...	(screenplay by)   Quiara Alegría Hudes	...	(based on the musical stage play, book by)   Lin-Manuel Miranda	...	(based on the musical stage play, concept by)
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In The Heights is available in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11, 2021.  It will leave HBO Max after July 11, 2021.  For tickets to see it in theaters, click here

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