Lin Manuel Miranda knows a thing or two about dreams. After all, he turned his into two Tony sweeping smash-hits, and has rode the subsequent wave of success to everything from animated Disney smashes to delightful reboots of beloved 60s musicals. Even so, it's important to remember where it all started, which is fortunate, because that's kind of what In the Heights is about. What began as a one-act show written by a 19 year-old Miranda has blossomed into this, a huge big-screen production dancing its way onto the screen as cinemas are slowly coming back from their year-and-a-bit-hiatus. Honestly it's just great to have a musical blockbuster on this scale, especially when it's a quasi-original one like In the Heights. It's proven to be a sure thing on Broadway but the question is this: how well does LMM's ode to Washington Heights translate to screen? Well...
In the Heights tells the story of Usnavi, a put-upon dreamer struggling to keep his Washington Heights bodega open as he yearns to return to the Dominican Republic and revive his family's business. Along the way, we're introduced to a cavalcade of characters, all with their own stories and dreams, and before long, the film has woven a bustling network of players and made the neighbourhood feel positively alive, before complicating it with a mid-film blackout. To say any more would give away some of the film's more impactful notes, but by crafting such a convincing, dynamic world so early on, In the Heights is able to create a compelling narrative from the start, and keep it going over the lengthy but surprisingly warranted runtime
Of course, it wouldn't be much of a musical without songs, and although they're lifted almost directly from the stage, the film utilises each of its tunes to wonderful effect. Miranda stumbles slightly with some of the slower numbers (did we really need two duets from Nina and Benny?), which work fine in the context of the story but struggle to match the power of his more energetic efforts. Thankfully, when he does let rip with his trademark hip-hop-Broadway fusion, it's electric stuff. From the flowing opener to the huge finale, In the Heights has tracks to spare. 96,000 is a glorious ode to dreamers, No Me Diga brings delightful old-school musical charm, and Carnival Del Barrio is an absolute showstopper, but the standout numbers come in the film's second act hat trick. From the alarmingly quick The Club to the stunning Paciencia Y Fe by way of Blackout's punchy intensity, it's a magical 20-ish minute sequence that winds up the movie's greatest emotional blow, and the combination of style and substance is brutally effective
None of this would be possible without the cast, and there really isn't a weak link here. Singling out any of the players is a fool's errand, but special mention to Anthony Ramos as the eyes we view this sweeping tale of a Summer rife with both dreams and frustrations through. The trick of casting actors like Ramos and Olga Merediz-both of whom played their respective roles in stage productions of In the Heights- is a simple one but the film is no less effective for it. The acting is often seamless, carrying the plot where lesser films would buckle under their runtime. And that's the secret of In the Heights: creating a cast of characters that are enjoyable to be around. Especially on a revisit, the pure charisma of the cast means that the few snags it does it are much easier to overlook
Not that there are many issues. Some plots are more interesting than others and the film never really fleshes Vanessa out enough for her emotional beats to really resonate, but the film succeeds in creating this gorgeously immersive vibe that allows it to pick up the slack quickly enough. The pacing is strong, really leaning on plot-heavy scenes to drive the action, but the film always gives itself enough time to step back and admire what it's built. It's just a superb Summer film, one that is able to combine so many flavours and make them all fit together wonderfully. It's an ode to dreamers, a celebration of Latinx identity and a hugely enjoyable hangout film. It enjoys its huge stagey musical numbers but knows when to cut them with some surprisingly stinging social commentary
But the most important and admittedly simple ingredient to making it work is the fact that Usnavi is a really likable character. It sounds basic but it's true, and by putting someone who's so easy to root for at the forefront, it means everything else can just fall into place. It's a big film, not least because it's so connected to its own legacy as a Broadway production, but it's to the credit of everyone involved that In the Heights is just such an engaging experience, one that will only grow on repeat viewings. Fun, smart and heartfelt, it cranks the big screen musical right up to 96,000
★ ★ ★ ★1⁄2
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