“In The Heights” Review: The Must-See Movie of the Summer
Last month, I had the opportunity to view an online early screening for the musical film In The Heights (2021) dir. Jon M. Chu set to be released next month in theaters and on HBO Max June 11th, 2021.
As an avid fan of the original musical itself with a deep and personal connection to the story it tells, I had extremely high expectations for this film. The original story seen on stage is both timeless and magical, the characters intriguing and relatable, and their struggles and choices — though differing — a clear representation of their block as a whole. Its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, making it clear that the absence of harmful tropes in the story was both purposeful and necessary. As a first-generation Black Latine from my own version of “The Heights”, this is what made In The Heights resonate so deeply with me and swiftly rooted itself as a mainstay favorite.
There were some truly beautiful moments within the film version that often left me emotional and captured the most special aspects of its stage version in a new and innovative way. Two of the most notable scenes for me were “Pacienca Y Fe” and “Carnaval del Barrio”. Pacienca Y Fe was a callback to what felt like a memory of my own and an interesting take on its onstage counterpart that leaves you just as teary-eyed as the original — in part due to Abuela Claudia’s original Broadway actress starring as the same character she so excellently portrayed onstage over a decade ago. Moreover, Carnaval del Barrio held the same strength in breathtakingly beautiful visuals whilst honoring its stage version and capturing the feeling of both seeing and being seen.
Olga Merediz reprising her role as Abuela Claudia and newcomer Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny are the clear standout performances of the film. I would dare say that the former’s performance could (and should) snag Merediz an Oscar nomination.
However, I did find that at times the pacing felt just a touch off, leaving some newly introduced storylines to feel rushed and disconnected. I would have loved to see Vanessa’s original storyline further fleshed out as that was what made the character and her motivations more relatable and understandable in the onstage adaptation. In this version, Sonny seems to have absorbed aspects of Vanessa’s original storyline with a much-anticipated cameo from Marc Anthony. I also noted that Nina and Benny feel almost side-lined in the film adaptation with some of their most notable scenes being omitted or changed entirely; unfortunately leaving the topic of anti-Blackness in the Latine community untouched and Nina’s mother who was the Rosario’s voice of reason cut from the story entirely.
Chu is a director known for his stunning visuals and once again did not disappoint. From the beautiful shots of Caribbean food, to various flags waving in the air, to the cinematography of Abuela Claudia’s standout scene— I was left breathless. Notably, there was controversy for the lack of darker-skinned individuals in the cast, Chu once under-fire for similar acts of colorism within his film Crazy Rich Asians (2018). With In The Heights’ omission of the conversation on anti-Blackness in Latine communities, I did find myself wishing that more of the cast reflected the Black Latine community of both Washington Heights and as a whole beyond the background extras.
Overall, it is a nice, feel-good film with beautiful moments and cinematography, coinciding with heartstring-tugging performances. Though some changes from stage to screen struggled at times to capture the magical essence of the original, others enhance the story and its beauty in remarkable ways. A smooth jump into a musical movie that leaves you engaged with every scene, In The Heights is the film to watch this summer and I will be waving my flag along: pa’rriba esa bandera! Rating: ★★★★☆
