Note: By now ya'll know that I'm a terrible editor. So be prepared for me to be editing this AFTER I upload it. Also, I'm not a professional reviewer nor do I try to be in these. I'm simply stating what I thought. Also, this is a shorter review, because since I haven't seen the original stage musical I can't go in depth about the changes made from stage to screen.
"What truly makes this film magical is when it comes to the musical numbers."
First and foremost, I am going to say that I have never seen In the Heights before. I know the basic premise of the story and have heard a few songs, but I have never seen the entire show. Therefore, in this review I won't be comparing it to the stage version. I have to say that overall In the Heights is a wonderful movie. It tells a beautiful story of a community and the hardships they go through. The screenplay by original Broadway author Quiara Alegría Hudes is touching and
it builds a fully realized world. I had two problems with the screenplay, the first one was the frequent interjecting scenes of Usnavi with a bunch of kids because those scenes pulled me out of the rich story. ***SPOILER ALERT*** The other is how all of those scenes take place on a beach and lead the audience to believe that Usnavi is on the beach, but in the end it is revealed they were in Washington Heights the entire time. ***END SPOILER ALERT*** I did not really see the purpose in that psych out. Meanwhile Lin-Manuel Miranda's rich score which mixes rap, salsa and hip-hop is outstanding. With a blend of English and Spanish lyrics he weaves gorgeous songs. It is the best score that he has ever written. (Yes. It is even better than Hamilton come at me.) My two favorite numbers are "Carnaval del Barrio" and "96,000" both are gorgeously filmed and feature electrifying choreography from Christopher Scott. Scott has people dancing from the streets, on the side of buildings and even under water. The film is topped with Jon M. Chu's brilliant direction. Chu manages to create an entire world even when actors haven't spoken a word. This is seen through the various different families and people seen in the background of the film. What truly makes this film magical is when it comes to the musical numbers, Chu does not try and ground them in reality. He says "They're singing. Okay." and he leaves it at that. He allows the theatricality and absurdity (I mean that with all the love in my
heart) of these numbers to shine through instead of trying to ground them. (This makes me intrigued to see what he'll do with Wicked.) Before I get into specific performances I want to say I love the diversity of people in the extras. I saw people of all different shapes, sizes and ages. I loved the performances of Stephanie Beatriz and Dascha Polanco as Carla and Cuca two salon girls. (Side note: In the movie Carla is now the girlfriend/partner of Daniela and I loved that. ESPECIALLY because they didn't tote it in the every promotional event, *COUGH* *COUGH* Disney *COUGH* *COUGH* They didn't make it a big deal.) Unfortunately, not all of the performances were spectacular. Miranda portrayed the role of Piragüero, the man who sells piragua's on the street and it was unnecessary. I don't think Lin can act or sing. He needs to stick to writing music. However, I don't think it was nearly as bad as his performance in Hamilton. I think for a majority of the other performers they delivered good performances, but I was not gobsmacked by them. This includes Gregory Diaz IV, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins and Anthony Ramos who portrayed Sunny, Vanessa, Nina, Benny and Usnavi respectively. I thought they all were good performances, but I don't think they were anything exceptional. A gorgeous and touching performance comes from Olga Merediz who portrays the matriarch of the neighborhood "Abuela" Claudia. She delivers a stunning rendition of "Paciencia y Fe" However, the best performance goes to Daphne Rubin-Vega as salon owner Daniela. Rubin-Vega delivers a truly strong role that is funny, sassy and strong. Overall, this is a gorgeous movie which is beautifully shot, written and staged. I just wish that the performances could have matched.
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| Daphne Rubin-Vega and Stephanie Beatriz |
"Business is closed, and we’re about to go… Let’s have a carnaval del barrio!"