In The Heights - Movie Review

Critics Score - 8

General Audience Score - 8

The musical in Hollywood cinema has become about as rare of an item these days as a cool summer day in NYC. Musical lyrics being injected into cinematic sequences and interlaced with dialogue is a dangerous venture which often just doesn’t land. But when it does, oh boy, you can find yourself witnessing some of the finest work in cinema. The combination of great film work and fantastic music when paired and perfectly in sync is an absolutely magical experience. In The Heights is the newest musical experience currently available to stream on HBO Max and though it may not reach the Best Picture winning caliber of some of it’s predecessors, it may very well put itself in the conversation. It's a visually engaging and an overall fun time at the movies, even if some of the story is predictable and the drama feels somewhat contrived. Pick it apart all you like, no matter it's flaws, there's a fresh new sound in the neighborhood and it's coming straight from In The Heights.

We begin this musical journey on a beach in the Caribbean with some kids asking Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) what suenito means. He responds “little dream” and then begins to tell them a story from Washington Heights, up past Harlem in northern Manhattan on the west side, in New York City. We’re introduced to the whole crew in short order including Usnavi’s friend Benny (Corey Hawkins) and Benny’s love interest back from college, Nina (Leslie Grace), Nina’s dad Kevin (Jimmy Smits) and the woman Usnavi pines over, Vanessa (Melissa Barrera). Usnavi is busy ringing up customers buying cokes and lotto tickets in his corner store and pretty soon the cast is out in the street doing the first musical number In The Heights. The quality of the performances are good but they’re vastly out shadowed by the musical prowess and grandiose level the film is operating on. There are so many players in the story with musical numbers and crisscrossing narratives it’s hard to single any out other than Usnavi. But they all get a chance to tell some story, add a piece to this puzzle that revolves around the wonderful Latin American music and culture. The emotional beats the film hits are there, the standard ups and downs you know are coming from a perfectly adequate screenplay. Each character faces their own tests and struggles which range from discrimination at school to immigration to leaving their home, friends and current life in pursuit of their little dreams.

By the time the last song is fading out, we’ve been reminded what “home” or what truly makes anyplace a home, is all about. Vanessa and Usnavi’s love story was at the heart of the film but the supporting cast all had things to say. In The Heights may have been a victim of having a little to say about so many topics that it ended up saying next to nothing about anything. The cinematography was very nice and the choreography of the cast during the song sequences was really impressive. The sound work and original songs did so much heavy lifting for the film, most were so unique, full of life and zest that it was next to impossible to not be taken in by them. None of the performances really stood out, the music and musical numbers were the stars of this show and everyone was just cruising along on the ride.

SUMMAMY - This movie may not have all the pieces for a Best Picture winner like a Chicago or West Side Story of old, but it’s working with the same materials. It’s one of the best cinematic experiences of the year so far. Films of this quality, especially musicals, just don’t come around very often, but you’ll see exactly what I mean next time you’re In The Heights.