Lin-Manuel Miranda’s name is synonymous with one thing: “Hamilton.” Even people who might not know who he is know “Hamilton” and describing him as one of the brains behind the massively successful musical makes him an instant favorite for many. However, that was not remotely his first big success, because way back in 2008, after an off-Broadway run in 2007, Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’s first big success premiered; “In the Heights.”
If there’s one undeniable success that this film adaptation manages, it’s translating the thumping energy of the stage to the screen. So often musicals lose substantial amounts of energy when transitioning to film, just look at the 2005 adaptation of “The Producers. Same cast, same director, but it flopped critically and commercially. This momentum is important for any film adaptation of a stage show, and doubly so with a project like “Heights” where so much of each and every moment is about the people.
If the emotion or energy is lost, then the film fails. Luckily, director John M. Chu and writer Quiara Alegría Hudes have delivered a project that radiates with energy throughout its 143-minute runtime. That’s a hard thing to pull off, but whether its in slower romantic numbers or the numerous elaborately constructed hundred cast member dance sequences, things never wain. Chu might be most well-known for directing “Crazy Rich Asians”, but he cut his teeth on films in the “Step Up” franchise, and it shows here.
This is a hard film to describe in terms of just what makes it so special. It’s easy to give lip service to its cultural elements; it showcases a minority group that is rarely, if ever, the focus of major Hollywood films and part of the reason for its sense of electric energy is the freshness this new perspective lends the film. Yet, the most miraculous thing of all is this, as wonderful as it is to have a film this grand and diverse, it also works with that removed.
What’s at the film’s core; the story of love, family, home, wanting the best for those around you, ring true. The way its being told and the perspectives are unique, but the core of it all is intrinsically universal. Hudes has successfully taken her and Miranda’s musical from the stage to the screen without losing a drop of authenticity and heart, even as songs, lines, and various other elements were swapped around for this adaptation.
Just like any film, thought arguably more important in a musical, a story is nothing if the people bringing it to life aren’t giving it their all. Thankfully, there’s not a single weak link to be seen in this sprawling and lively cast. Anthony Ramos (“Hamilton (2020),” “She’s Gotta Have It (2017)”) is, without a doubt, an Oscar frontrunner as Usnavi, the film’s protagonist. His earnestness and warm heart are palpable in every single scene and lend everything a wonderful energy and sense of love.
If Ramos is making a strong case for a Lead Actor Oscar, then Corey Hawkins (“Straight Outta Compton,” “24: Legacy”) and Gregory Diaz IV (“Vampires vs. the Bronx”) are making equally strong cases for Supporting Actor noms. Hawkins plays Benny, a taxicab dispatcher, and Diaz plays Usnavi’s cousin Sonny. Benny is an excitable guy with a head full of ideas, and Sonny is a life of the party energetic teenager almost anyone can relate to. Its hard to say anything more descriptive than just that they’re excellent. The same goes for the rest of the cast: Leslie Grace, in her film debut, Melissa Barrera (“Siempre Tuya Acapulco,” “Vida”), Daphne Rubin-Vega (“Smash,” “Katy Keene”), Jimmy Smits (“NYPD Blue,” “The West Wing”), and, continuing the trend started by films like “The Farewell” and “Minari,” Olga Merediz, reprising her Broadway role as Abuela Claudia, stealing hearts as this year’s most lovable and wholesome film grandmother.
The music is excellent, the choreography is stellar, and the film is even mostly well-paced given its lengthy runtime. If there’s any complaints to be made, its that the romantic subplot involving Benny and Grace’s Nina isn’t as interesting as the rest of the film, but that hardly means its boring or poorly done.
“In The Heights” is a virtually complete success, with stellar performances and an entire cast and creative crew uniformly committed to bringing this modern classic of a musical to the silver screen. It might be too long for some, and it, unfortunately, won’t make non-musical fans reconsider their lives, but what has been presented is easily the best film musical, adaptation or otherwise, in years. 5/5
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