Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The sublime film adaptation of IN THE HEIGHTS improves upon the Tony-winning stage musical

• By drediman
• June 15, 2021
• No Comments

On its opening weekend on the biggest possible screen (the IMAX theater at AMC Lincoln Square), I caught the sublime film adaptation of In the Heights, a hip-hop and and Latin-infused musical ode to the gentrifying neighborhood of Washington Heights (located in northern Manhattan) and, more broadly, the immigrant experience. The movie is based on Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ stage musical, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2008. Although I have very fond memories of the original Broadway production, its simultaneously generic and busy book proved somewhat problematic. However, the sheer exuberance of Mr. Miranda’s score and the original company’s vibrant and heartfelt performances overcame any shortcomings, and then some.

Luckily, film has given the creative team the opportunity to revisit the work’s structure and content. The end result is one of the rare movie musical adaptations that actually improves upon and feels more of a fully-formed artistic statement than the original stage version. The revised “book” judiciously focuses the narrative (for example, one of the show’s primary characters has been completely excised) and brings needed texture and specificity to the character’s backstories. Especially poignant is how the film weaves in the considerable challenges currently facing undocumented immigrants. Additionally, by framing the piece as a sort of parable, In the Heights‘ unalloyed exuberance can truly take flight. Indeed, by placing the piece firmly in the world of magic realism (as opposed to gritty reality), the work’s inherent idealism and purity can finally exist comfortably.

Director Jon M. Chu (who scored big with Crazy Rich Asians) injects the work with genuine heart and exhilarating spectacle that really pops on the big screen. He handles both the musical’s parade of show-stopping production numbers and tapestry of human stories with deep respect and inspired visual panache – just witness his splashy (pun intended) Busby Berkeley homage in “96,000” and the poetic progression of the wrenching “Paciencia y Fe”. The film is sensationally cast from top to bottom, starting with Anthony Ramos in a star-making turn as Usnavi. As the film’s hugely likable lead, he effortlessly anchors the movie with grounded charisma and sensitivity. Of the supporting cast, scene-stealing standouts include young Gregory Diaz IV as Sonny and Broadway veteran Daphne Rubin-Vega as Daniela. And of course, there’s Olga Merediz – the film’s lone holdover from the stage production – whose Abuela Claudia is the spiritual center of the film.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

IN THE HEIGHTS
Film
2 hours, 23 minutes
In movie theaters and streaming on HBO Max