In the Heights (2021)

I’m not sure if I’ve made this clear before but I don’t have a particular favorite genre when it comes to movies. However, I do love musicals. Now I get to check another movie off my bucket list after having just watched In the Heights. I actually saw the Broadway show when I was twelve but unfortunately, I sometimes have the memory span of a turkey when it comes to certain things and similarly I might have to return to the same place twice in order to truly understand something. Even though it took me a few years to finally watch the film version, I’m delighted that I got to return to some familiar territory that I haven’t seen in years and was not let down by this experience in any way whatsoever. I’ve been a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda for years and his songs are always engraved in my mind whenever I listen to them. I tend to have a lot of hard days but one thing that always puts me in a better mood, is a musical with awesome songs, engaging dance numbers, and a heartwarming story that gives me hope for the future. This movie succeeded in all those areas. There’s so much to be said about this movie, so let’s not waste any time and jump right in.

     The story takes place between July 3 and July 5 in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in upper Manhattan, New York City. It focuses on a bodega owner (Anthony Ramos) who saves the money he earns while he imagines and sings about having a better life. It’s an amazing, heartfelt, and well-told story about hope, community, and the power of embracing one’s heritage and cultural identity while also delving into the struggles and dreams of immigrants and their children in America. With an impressive screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes, who also wrote the book for the stage version, and Lin-Manuel Miranda (no surprise there), and great direction by Jon M. Chu, everything is brought to life in the most awe-inspiring and magnificent way possible. It’s not an easy feat to adapt something from a stage show into a film but they pulled that off beautifully. The rest of the cast includes Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Olga Merediz (who was also in the original cast of the Broadway show), Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, the man himself, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a whole list of actors, singers, and dancers who help bring the magic to this glorious adaptation. And when it comes to a repetitive crazy fool like me, I feel like I can rewatch the enchantment and magnetism of this film whenever I can’t think of anything else to watch. As someone who also loves theatre, I feel like I regained some part of my memory from the stage show and that I got to relive my childhood again. With the amount of bad days I usually have, that’s about the only thing I need to rejuvenate my spirit.

     This was an enjoyable and jaw-dropping experience from start to finish and that’s usually all I need from a movie. As much as I don’t like to admit this (I’m overcritical, what can I say?), I suppose that my only criticism of this movie would be that I didn’t get to experience this incredible work of art on the big screen when it came out, because I feel like that would have made the experience much better. For that reason, I would have to give this movie a 9 out of 10. But that’s just how I felt and it barely took away from what I witnessed. If you’re a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda, musicals, or if you want to feel the same way I did, then check this film out if you haven’t already. Trust me, it’s time well spent.