In The Heights

 

Director Jon M. Chu’s In The Heights is simply one of the most exciting films in years!  And that’s due to the fact it’s truly a group effort with Writer/Producer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s joyous story and lyrics, Alice Brooks fabulous choreography and an amazing cast of Latino actors of all ages, including Anthony Ramos (Usnavi), Melissa Barrera (Vanessa), Leslie Grace (Nina), Olga Merediz (Abuela Claudia), Jimmy Smits (Kevin) and Gregory Diaz IV (Sonny).

 

Though the time sequence is not stated, the story is built around Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood during the summer of 1977, when New York suffered an electrical blackout, and is told to a group of children by Usnavi (Ramos) circa 1990…Usnavi being so named by his immigrant father, who had seen it painted on a battleship, when he sailed into New York harbor…US Navy.

While the simple plot concerns members of the Latino culture, growing up in Northern Manhattan, it’s the vibrant music and energy of the dancing that makes this film so exceptional. 

 For me, this film does for Latinos what Cotton Comes To Harlem did for Blacks and Crazy Rich Asians did for Asians…removes the differences of color and culture and lets the characters be seen and embraced simply as people, no matter what the viewer’s color and culture happens to be.

I urge you to treat yourself to this cinematic experience, but PLEASE see it in a theater and not on a TV.  From dancing on the streets to dancing Astair-style on the side of a building, it’s a spectacle to be seen on as large a screen as possible.

I give In The Heights a 4.9 out of 5.