2 minute read
“In the Heights”
MELISSA BARRERA, STEPHANIE BEATRIZ, LESLIE GRACE, DASCHA POLANCO, AND DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA
MAIN CAST:Marc Anthony, Melissa Barrera, Stephanie Beatriz, Gregory Diaz IV, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Chris Jackson, Olga Merediz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patrick Page, Dascha Polanco, Anthony Ramos, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jimmy Smits CASTING BY:Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey DIRECTED BY: Jon M. Chu WRITTEN BY: Quiara Alegría Hudes, Alex Lacamoire, and Lin-Manuel Miranda DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner Bros. Pictures
“IN THE HEIGHTS” VERY WELL MIGHT HAVE
been the first movie you saw in a real theater after more than a year away. Then again, you might have decided to watch it on HBO Max from the safety of your couch. Either way, this film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tonywinning Broadway musical is packed with enough joy to transcend the boundaries of the screen, no matter its size.
Set in New York City’s Little Dominican Republic, Washington Heights, the musical follows Usnavi, a humble bodega owner trying to level up, and his neighborhood’s cast of characters. It’s a raucous good time bolstered by sweeping direction from “Crazy Rich Asians” helmer Jon M. Chu. But it’s screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes, composer Alex Lacamoire, and book and songwriter Miranda who really propel this talented group.
The movie-magic treatment of this smash hit
COREY HAWKINS, GREGORY DIAZ IV, AND ANTHONY RAMOS
requires a true leading man, and SAG Award nominee Anthony Ramos proves he fits the bill with his Usnavi. The actor serves up charisma, dancing, and a velvet voice—all while looking effortlessly fly. He brings chemistry to his scenes opposite love interest Vanessa, played by Melissa Barrera. (One of their exchanges, in fact, inspired a gender-swapping TikTok trend.) Barrera, a seasoned Mexican telenovela star, matches Ramos beat for beat and gives Vanessa a sense of longing that’s necessary for the character to work.
Reprising her role as Abuela Claudia from the Broadway musical’s original run is the outstanding Olga Merediz. She is the only cast member to return to the production; and watching the actor’s devoted portrayal of a woman who is the beating heart of her community, we know why the film brought her back. Her rendition of “Paciencia y Fe”
OLGA MEREDIZ
(“Patience and Faith”), which shows off her dynamic vocal range and emotional connection to the material, is reason enough. Watching Merediz’s Abuela remember her life after immigrating to New York while standing at the center of a dream ballet on a vintage subway train is one of the film’s highlights. Alice Brooks elevates it all with her gorgeous cinematography.
Benny (Corey Hawkins) and Nina’s (Leslie Grace) romance, Usanvi and Sonny’s (Gregory Diaz IV) tender familial relationship, and the mystery of who drew the winning $96,000 lottery ticket make for some of the most effective subplots of this film.
Populating the rest of Washington Heights are outstanding supporters including Jimmy Smits, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Dascha Polanco, Stephanie Beatriz, Patrick Page, Marc Anthony, and frequent Miranda collaborator Chris Jackson. Each delivers on the promise their characters make to the world of the story and then some. The exchanges are rich, the challenges are timely, the love connections feel real, and the dancing is to die for.
The power of “In the Heights” lies in its actors’ ability to weave its various storylines— all centered on love, the immigrant dream, and a pervading sense of community—into a gorgeous tapestry. Each theme is a brilliant playground for this cast. —BRIANA RODRIGUEZ
