In the Heights (2021)

Director: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace
Runtime: 143 minutes

Synopsis: 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.

Verdict: Rejoice, everybody, for the season of Lin-Manuel Miranda is finally upon us! Following the success of “Hamilton” last year, he struck Hollywood gold by signing deals left and right that will see him write, produce, and even direct a bunch of upcoming projects. Directly adapted from the stage musical that made him the theater icon that he is today, “In the Heights” takes place under the heat of a Hispanic neighborhood in New York City and follows its community in their search for a better life.

Directed by Jon M. Chu (“Step Up 3D”, “Crazy Rich Asians”), the film relies on an ensemble cast to bring an unmatched energy to its atmosphere. Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera are both standouts, but it’s the festive nature of the environment that turned the film into sort of a street-like version of “La La Land”. While both are musicals developed around the theme of dreams, “In the Heights” tackles it from an entirely different perspective that allows the audience to view it through the eyes of the Latino community residing in the US. It’s a vibrant social study filled with love stories, sad moments, dazzling numbers, and a rhythm that never drops. Despite a runtime of nearly two and a half hours, I was never bored, never uninterested in the direction in which the story was going, no matter how cheesy or under-developed it occasionally felt.

I won’t pretend that the film doesn’t come with a few creative decisions that didn’t entirely work for me, the biggest one being its inability to properly capture the heat that was targeting the residents of Washington Heights (unlike Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” which does it perfectly), but the musical fan in me was more than satisfied with this surprise hit. Lin-Manuel Miranda has already conquered the hearts of many, and he’s made it clear that he’s here to stay!

FINAL GRADE: 8/10