Musical movies have a long and storied Hollywood history. Visually inventive, they also move a lot of story. You can pack a lot more information and story into a three-minute song than you can into a scene of that length. Why? Because songs in musicals let you glimpse into a character’s inner thoughts and feelings. Those they otherwise wouldn’t be able to express.
In the Heights draws a lot from classic musicals and combines them with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s now-familiar hip hop style (though In the Height predates Hamilton). “96,000,” filmed at the gorgeous Highbridge Pool, was reminiscent of the classic aquamusicals. The dancing during “The Club” of West Side Story. And, there soft sung dialogue bits throughout that harkened back to Rent. These notes of the musicals that came before don’t diminish the film but tie into the theme of remembering the past, keeping it close, but bringing it into the future.
Except for “Paciencia y Fe” (which is established as a dream sequence) and “When the Sun Goes Down” the musical numbers are very grounded. In that, the things that happen in them don’t bend the fabric of reality, no more than breaking into song and dance does. This makes “When the Sun Goes Down” a particular anomaly as it involves dancing up the side of a building (a nod to Royal Wedding). It’s a gorgeous number, a great music theatre moment, and another classic homage but it doesn’t work because of how grounded the rest of the numbers had been.
Most musicals that deal in love are about new love and that’s what makes In The Heights different. It presents you with Usnavi who has long carried a torch for Vanessa but has never acted on it. She also likes him but her focus is on getting out of the neighbourhood. The secondary couple is a pair of reunited exs. It creates interesting dynamics because it’s not new love, these people have known each other since they were kids and, for some, have loved just as long.
Of the supporting characters, I was most intrigued by the Salon Ladies. There were three of them, a romantic couple and their unattached third. Due to the gentrification of the neighbourhood and the increasing rent they were moving shop to the Bronx altogether. I really would follow a sequel just about them and the stuff they get up to; In The Bronx.
Anthony Ramos who plays Usnavi is definitely someone people should be taking note of if they haven’t already. When he’s on screen he commands attention. This role in particular lets him display a range: father figure, romantic lead, and caretaker. Not to mention the music theatre chops.
Since its release, In The Heights has received criticism for colourism. The criticism is valid because the film is supposed to be representative of the diverse Latinx community of Washington Heights and by not including Afro-Latinx portion in roles other than background it doesn’t achieve that. The musical was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda because he didn’t feel seen and, while it has better Latinx representation than the West Side Story in which Chita was the only main cast member that was Latinx and every “Puerto Rican” wore brownface, it could have and should have done better.
It is a traditional stage musical translated to film, and with that comes a runtime of almost two and half hours, but unlike a stage musical, it doesn’t have a built-in intermission. You’ll either have to sit straight through or build one for yourself. If you choose to make your own intermission, I’d recommend hitting pause right after a musical number, . Lin-Manuel Miranda appears as the Piragua Guy and you have to stick around for a post-credit, and thus the full runtime, if you want to see an extended version of his “Piragua” song.
Currently only available for early access rental in Canada but keep your eyes on Drive-in cinemas and on Crave in about 3 months.
© 2021. UniversalCinema Mag.