In The Heights – Movie Review

In the Heights, the live action adaption of the Broadway musical, with music from Lin-Manuel Miranda is here.

In the Heights was directed by Jon Chu and stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Melissa Barrera, and Leslie Grace in her acting debut. Grace is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of the film. Even though it’s her debut, she handles her role with a level of skill that would make you think she’s been doing this for a long time. She does a great job in showing the massive burden that he character carries. Ramos also shines in the lead role and as the narrator. Jimmy Smits, as Leslie Grace’s father, really shines in his supporting role. As a supporting character, he steals so many of the scenes he appears in. He’s a pro’s pro.

At it’s core, In the Heights is a story about a neighborhood, rich in culture, in flux. Washington Heights is, in many aspects, one of the most important characters in the film. It’s also a machine for delivering the core messages of the film. Of all of the social messages packed into this two and a half hours film, those that are handled with some level of subtly and precision are the most effective. Understanding the effects of the changing world on this microcosm of Latino culture are essential to understanding the purpose of the film.

The most bluntly delivered message within the film is the question of DREAMers. There doesn’t seem to any nuance or subtly with this point. Where as the over themes in the film are handled in evocative ways, the question of DREAMers is forced and feels thrown in your face. It also feels wildly simplified. The line, “They’re trying to get rid of the DREAMers” dumbs down the entire controversy and omits important context about the actual issue. The reason I harp on this is because things like gentrification and familial/cultural pressure and expectations are handled so much better and integrate seamlessly into the plot.

The music and choreography are obviously core components of this film. Many of the songs in the film really hit their marks. Among my favorite songs were the The Club, Carnaval Del Barrio, and In the Heights. My favorite sequence in the film was the nightclub scene. This is where the choreography really takes centerstage. The pool scene is another example of the remarkable choreography throughout the film.

Maybe this is just a slight bias but I wish Marc Anthony had a larger role in the film. He only appears for about a minute in the film and barely a verse in the end credits theme. I love Marc Anthony so I wish he had a bigger role.

Slight spoiler but be sure to stick around after the credits for a short scene. Who would have expected a post-credits scene in a musical?

Final Review

In the Heights is an enjoyable and fun musical. The music is often great with only a few numbers missing the beat. Great performances from Leslie Grace and Anthony Ramos help to make this an enjoyable film. There are important lessons and themes to take away from this film, but the hamfisted approach to DACA detracts from the overall message. This is certainly worth 2 hours and 22 minutes of your night.

7.8/10

If you have HBO Max, you can watch the film at home until July 11th.