In The Heights is Lin Manuel Miranda’s second screen adaptation, following incredible (and deserved) popularity and success from Hamilton: The Musical. The story follows the close-knit citizens of Washington Heights, a neighbourhood in New York City where the disadvantaged Latin-American community find joy in the small things and each have ‘el suenito’: a little dream.
The film stars Hamilton alumni Anthony Ramos as our main protagonist, Usnavi. In my personal opinion, Ramos is a refreshing change from the original casting of Miranda himself. While Miranda is a creative and lyrical genius, Ramos’s portrayal of Usnavi brings a boyish charm and cheekiness that adds to the infectious nature of the film. Other standouts from the casting include Corey Hawkins, who replaced Christopher Jackson (though he still makes an appearance) and has great on-screen chemistry with both Ramos and his love interest, Nina, played by the fantastic Leslie Grace. Special mention also goes to Gregory Diaz IV who plays Sonny de la Vega, Usnavi’s younger, ambitious, activist cousin who plays his role so convincingly.
Arguably the most anticipated part of In The Heights was watching how the Broadway smash hits translated on the big screen. Anybody who knows Lin Manuel-Miranda knows he can write a song, and we’ve seen his success on screen before with the Disney+ stage recording of Hamilton. Of course, In the Heights falls under different circumstances. The cast is not (for the most part) the original Broadway cast, and this is not simply a stage recording, but an artistically crafted film adaptation. Still, there’s no escaping the infectious joy and desire to dance that’s part-and-parcel of Latin music. In The Height’s songs still hit on the screen. Personal favourites include the title song, 96,000, No Me Diga, The Club, and Carnaval De Barrio – though all songs serve a purpose to push the story forward and none seem like a waste of time. Some actors as expected, sang fantastically: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, and Melissa Barrera. Other actors also sang fantastically, but came as more of a surprise: Stephanie Beatriz, who I’ve only known as Brooklyn 99’s Rosa Diaz comes to mind. Dare I say it, the cast did an equal – if not better – performance than the original Broadway cast (though Olga Merediz was great reprising her role as Abuela Claudia).
Still, a musical cannot truly be spectacular without a storyline that inspires said music. Luckily, In The Heights stands out for its plot alone. It’s a classic underdog tale, but it is grounded so deeply in reality and still rings true for many people today. The story is inspiring in embracing diversity, optimism, culture, and ambition, and I can only hope that it inspires audiences the world over, the same way it inspired me.
At just under 2.5 hours long, In The Heights is at the longer end of films – not unusual for a true-to-stage adaptation. While a classic intermission would have been nice, it would be only so I didn’t miss out on a single moment of the film. The film was paced well enough that the length isn’t felt until the very end, and even then, the music is enough to revive you immediately. I dare anybody to watch In The Heights without beaming from ear to ear, it’s charming and inspirational and passionate and infects you with optimism from the get-go.
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