Based on the stage play created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights follows a community of Latin Americans as they struggle through a summer of high temperatures and blackouts. The film opens with Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) telling a group of children about a place he used to know called Washington Heights, a borough of New York. As he begins to tell his story we are whisked back in time, and after joining a younger version of Usnavi, we follow him on his journey to achieve his él sueñito (little dream) of reclaiming his father’s old bar in the Dominican Republic. Along the way we learn about several other él sueñitos of other residents, all told through the medium of song.
Director Jon M. Chu’s previous film, Crazy Rich Asians, as the title suggests, focussed on a lavish and affluent society. This time he hones in on the other end of the financial spectrum. Our Washington Heights community has little in the way of money, but what they lack in cash they make up for in dreams and aspirations. Their lack of money doesn’t affect the production design. Chu’s streets are not gritty and grimy, sharing a lot of the same gloss as seen in his debut feature, Step Up 2: The Streets. These locations are clearly not as extravagant as Crazy Rich Asians, but are still plenty enough removed from the slums; it’s poor, but musical pretty poor, not hobo-chic.
The song and dance numbers are continuous and infectious, with enough brilliance packed into them to chisel away at even the most adverse to a musical numbers. Musicals are often painted as being super cheesy, but with In the Heights the team have created one that feels cool. The story hits a lot of the expected beats, but never veers too close to fully embraced tradition, retaining its modernity throughout. Due to the nature of the story, this is a musical that flows from one song to another, with only the very fleeting lines of unsung dialogue. With so much singing, it’s key to not overload the viewer; Chu and his team have made the decision to cut or rework several songs from the stage version. This was certainly the right call as at just shy of two and a half hours, the pace does begin to wane slightly towards the end.
What makes In the Heights super special is that it is an entirely bi-lingual film. Representing the languages of the community, In the Heights flits from English to Spanish continuously, fully embracing its Latino elements. Those unfamiliar with the native tongue of the Heights residents may find themselves getting a little lost along the way as there are few subtitles translating what is being said. Some of the exchanges are translated, but these really are few and far between, Chu refusing to anglicise the piece more than he needs to. With many songs having huge sections purely in Spanish, it might be worth brushing up on the language if you’re planning on going to watch this one.
Since Hamilton became the smash-success that it has, Lin-Manuel Miranda has been one of the most sought after collaborators in Hollywood. Here he combines his talents with those of director John M. Chu, whose own Crazy Rich Asians took the world by storm, and the result is a potent cocktail that has enabled a production that is near perfection. A colourfully modern and buoyant breath of fresh air, In the Heights doesn’t quite reinvent the musical, but certainly brings it bang up to date.
In the Heights is in cinemas now.
In The Heights
Summary
Offering some much needed representation of Latin American communities, In the Heights is a buoyantly joyful musical that will get your toes tapping.
