Movie Review: In the Heights

 Movie: In the Heights

Stars: 4

Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

I'm probably one of the few people who haven't see Hamilton. Every time I've gone to see it at a friend's place we've been shoved into lockdown. So, though I know who Lin Manuel Miranda is, I'm not that familiar with his work. Anyway, Jay said come along to see this, and I'm very glad I did. Though I'm not a big fan of musicals, after a few weeks of lockdown, any movie sounded good. 

Well, I went in with no expectations and came out smiling.

I loved this film. 

The story, which takes place around the time of a long, city wide black out during a heatwave and   centres around Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), a common man who runs the local corner store and is the centre of neighbourhood in Washington Heights, a suburb on Manhattan Island North of the Bronx, which is mainly a Latino neighbhourhood. As with any good musical, you get to meet the people of the district. The cab company owner (Jimmy Smits) and his daughter, Nina, who comes home from a top college (Leslie Grace) and her hometown beau, Benny (Corey Hawkins). The local beauty parlour owner and her tribe (great to see Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn 99 smile - and Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black). Usnavi is also proxy father to Sonny, a DREMA kid and has a large crush on Vanessa, a wannabe fashion designer. Holding the community together is Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), acting grandmother to the neighbourhood. And Lin Manuel Miranda makes a cameo as the snow cone or piraguero man. 

Everybody in the neighbourhood has a dream, which is what the movie is all about. Usnavi wants a quieter life back in the Dominican Republic. Sonny wants to get a green card. Vanessa wants to be a fashion designer. Nina wants to find her place in the world. 

The singing and dancing in this is fantastic, mixing hip hop with salsa and merengue beats. 

John L. Chu, who directed Crazy Rich Asians, gives the film a similar, fresh, fun and colourful feel.

Lin Manuel Miranda's music and lyrics are just wonderful.    

The stories of this group of dreamers suck you right in. I spent a lot of the back end of the film staving off tears as you bear witness to the struggles many Latino people have just living in America. But the film also highlights to joys of the community and it's close knit draw. 

Going into this blind, I came out with a huge smile on my face.

For anybody who loves a good musical, a story with heart and is in for a few tears and giggles, this is your film. 

It comes highly recommended. 

Today's Song: