In the Heights

9/10

In the Heights is a film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's first musical. (Although Hamilton made him a household name, this is what got him on the scene.) It follows the lives of of several residents of the neighborhood of Washington Heights in Manhattan.  

A lot of the musical numbers of movie musicals of the more recent decades lack a little something that those from the technicolor age of Hollywood had. Back then you had elaborate dance routines with large numbers of dancers. I'm very pleased to say that In the Heights recaptures the feel. The musical numbers are really, really good. Director Jon M. Chu, best known for helming Crazy Rich Asians, has had a history of dance in his works and he clearly knows what he's doing here. The intricate choreography is impressive. The sense of grandest is there with huge ensembles, and colorful, engaging settings. Plus the editing is very tight. A lot of effort went into meshing all these elements together. I'm really impressed with how the opening number was crazy ambitious with the the sheer number of locations they shot at. Though most of the numbers rely on the more grounded setting of the barrio, a couple of them get imaginative visually as well. 

The movie does a good job of telling the immigrant experience while keeping the characters individuals and not speaking points. I also rather liked the framing device of the film's lead bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) telling his story to a bunch of kids more than I thought I would as it blends in with the main story nicely. However, I don't know if everyone will have the attention span for this. The movie is two hours and thirty-two minutes long and between the songs a lot of this is just people talking with each other. 

The cast is great all across the board. This is actually a big break for a bunch of new talent who haven't gotten the chance to shine. Anthony Ramos in particular manages to sell his role. There are a couple known actors in here as well. NYPD Blue's Jimmy Smits gives a strong performance as father who wants what's best for his daughter, but disagrees with her on what that is. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz is part of a trio of salon owners along with Daphne Rubin-Vega and Dascha Polanco who serve as the show's more lighthearted characters. Though 99 viewers are more familiar with Beatriz's tough, reserved performance, she's got range and probably does the best facial expression work out of the entire cast. 

Overall, I really recommend this. I think this is one of the best put together movie musicals in recent years. 

P.S. Make sure to stay through the credits.