OK, sure, the music isn’t quite as good as Hamilton. But, my dears, what is? You may as well say, “That Reggie Jackson guy is not as good a hitter as Babe Ruth.” I think you’ll find that even Lin Manuel Miranda’s B-material is still puh-lenty entertaining. I mention this because the musical comparison might be your first reaction to In the Heights, and it’s wrong. In the Heights doesn’t have quite the lyrical or musical innovation as Hamilton, but it does have some things Hamilton doesn’t, like scenery and sets.
You’re probably gonna laugh at that, and I wouldn’t blame you if you were only familiar with August Wilson adaptations. In the hands of an imaginative director/producer, however, a stage adaptation can look less somebody opened a curtain on a random backyard, and more like a visual feast on par with the original material … and that’s what Jon M. Chu delivers In the Heights.
In the Heights is really the story of dueling romances, both threatened by distance. The story is set in Washington Heights, a distinctly Caribbean mix in the northernmost section of Manhattan. As the musical opens, gentrification is threatening to steal the unique Latin flavor of the neighborhood, but don’t you worry; there are plenty of songs and smiles to ease the pain. Bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) is planning to revive his late father’s business in the Dominican Republic while his would be squeeze, Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), is planning a move 150 blocks south to jumpstart her designing career.
Meanwhile, Nina (Leslie Grace) and Benny (Corey Hawkins) had already split because Nina spent last year at Stanford U. With Nina threatening to dropout due to financial insecurity (When was this written? Stanford is now free for below-median income families),
local dispatcher Benny is prepared to sing and dance his way back into her heart. Is there money in dispatching? Seriously, I need to know.
The music and dialogue casually floats from English (“It Won’t Be Long Now”) to Spanish (“Paciencia y Fe”) without worrying whether or not whether every.single.word is being translated. I found this highly refreshing; it’s a musical … i.e. we do not need to know exactly what’s being said to understand exactly what’s being felt. I’m certain that many native Spanish speakers will find their representation a revelation and then some.
You know what? I could love this movie on the simple count of it being the only one in memory in which the NYC corner store setting didn’t get robbed or destroyed. Please search your collective memories and name a film set in a NYC bodega in which the place never becomes a setting of tension. I’m sure there are some, but titles are not leaping to mind.
In the Heights is a classic escape; it is an upbeat joy from a to zeta. Even for a musical, this thing is upbeat. The freaking death scene is upbeat. Newsies thought Heights should take it down a notch. In the Heights is a celebration and rare love letter to Latin X, but what shouldn’t be lost is In the Heights is a splendid movie. The Benny and Nina duet “When the Sun Goes Down” is my favorite scene in film in a year, maybe longer. This is what happens when a great director with great source material meets a great imagination. This film will almost certainly be on my top-10 list for 2021.
♪I am not throwin’ away my spot(light)
I am not throwin’ away my spot(light)
The Latino allegory
Is always West Side Story
And I’m not throwin’ away my spot(light)
From the Bronx to San Diego
Spanish is spoken sans miedo
And yet when it comes to the movie show
Representation? Insignifico
Washington Heights, a barrio
Where linguaje y baile flow
Señorita y guapo chico
Not entertaining? How would you know? ♫
Rated PG-13, 143 Minutes
Director: Jon M. Chu
Writer: Quiara Alegría Hudes
Genre: The one where you never stop smiling
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Underrepresented Latinas
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who hate to smile
♪ Parody Inspired by “My Shot”
