In The Heights

 

An exuberant and highly infectious celebration of life and a great return back to cinemas! Featuring a charismatic Anthony Ramos and a highly singalong-able soundtrack by Lin-Manual Miranda, In the Heights was a highly entertaining delight! By no means was it a perfect film - or musical - but it was a poignant reminder of the power of cinema to celebrate Life. 

Jon M. Chu did a great job injecting a visceral, kinetic energy to the big moments and these were delicious highlights! From the opening number to the catchy salon number, from the big pool sequence to the Carnivale del Barrio, these sequences were unbelievably infectious and simply made you want to jump up and dance (by the aisles!). These moments seemed destined for the big screen and they really transport you away from reality.

However, Chu may have lost sight in the smaller, more intimate moments. The quieter and more tender scenes did not really work. They just felt a lot duller. Partially it laid in the lack of emotional groundwork for the lead characters. The two romantic pairings felt superficial and unexplored. Their connection and their individual challenges were simply brushed through and not built upon. 

Not having seen the musical before, it was hard to know if it was an inherent problem of the stage production or a translation issue. The film, like the musical's book, was written by Quiara Algeria Hudes, and the central narrative just seemed a bit thin. And the songs by Miranda clearly showed the groundwork for his later smash hit Hamilton.

That being said, Olga Merediz's Abuela (a role she originated in the musical), was the heart and soul. Her story had the most significant emotional punch; I will not lie, but tears was shed. That was a sincerely powerful moment, and the film needed more of it. 

Ramos was a great lead actor and possessed a great voice. He practically oozed charisma and was a great character to follow and root for, but his chemistry with Melissa Barrera - as his love interest, Vanessa - was hit-and-miss. They have their moments but it never did culminate in fireworks.

On the other side we have Corey Hawkins with that silky, Broadway voice and Leslie Grace with her more contemporary pop vocals. Just like Ramos and Barrera, their chemistry was fleeting. 

Shout out to the salon ladies: Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi in the original Rent), Stephanie Beatriz (Rosa from Brooklyn-Nine-Nine) and Dascha Polanco (Daya from Orange is the New Black).

In the Heights was the ideal film to welcome back the post-pandemic cinema. A positive film that entertained and delighted. Cinema is not dead! Long, live the cinema!