REVIEW: In The Heights

 

I can pinpoint the exact moment in the theater I was certain I was going to like In the Heights after all.

There's a specific shot in the opening number, I believe it even features in one of the trailers, that has lead character Usnavi staring out the window of his shop observing the folks of his hometown carried away in dance. The reflection of this display of kinetic dreaming is imposed on the window over Usnavi's own yearnful expression as he admires from behind the glass plane. He's at once a part of the magic, yet totally separate from it. The effect has an oddly fantastical feel to it, yet it's achieved through the most rudimentary of filming tricks. This is but one of many instances in which director Jon M. Chu finds music and light in the most mundane of corners. 

    The film is anchored in the life of storeowner, Usnavi, as he comes to a crossroads. For as long as he's run his bodega, Usnavi's guiding dream has been to return to his parent's country and take his business to the shores of his childhood. It's no more farfetched a dream than what you'll find anywhere else on the block, but a golden opportunity presents itself to Usnavi. The kind of opportunity some only find once in a lifetime and most never find at all. But with opportunity comes a choice. Chasing his home country means leaving the home he grew up in.

For all the musical veracity star Anthony Ramos brings to the role, his Usnavi isn't quite at home in this world of singing and wishing. He doesn't necessarily know if musical-style optimism is enough to climb this hill, and the result is surprisingly dynamic. Watching Usnavi learn to come to terms with this world of musical vibrancy may prove to be a connecting link to viewers on the fence about this whole musical game anyway.

This same dance between nostalgia and wanderlust plays out in Usnavi's circle of friends, all of whom have to define home, desire, and success on their own terms. Nina (Leslie Grace), for example, has tasted success in her first years at Stanford, but she questions whether she is a worthy bearer of the torch for her community, or whether she can continue to justify her father dropping every penny to fund an education that may prove to be too much for her. The character arcs within this film are rich in psychology and an essential human element. Still, if the film does have a shortcoming, it's that the romances play more like added value elements to more developed character arcs. 

There's not a weak link among the cast, musically or otherwise. The main players include Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, and Olga Merediz. Stephanie Beatriz of Brooklyn 99 fame steals the show as Carla, one of the hairdressers who play like the Muses of the drama in this modern proscenium.

But the show's most valuable performer is director Jon M. Chu, who naturally draws the music out from the streets and the bustle. Even the quivering of the building as the train rushes by is naturally integrated into the choreography of this world. You just know if any of these characters would pause and notice the melody that so eagerly reveals itself on this block, they'd know better than to chase happiness anywhere but Washington Heights.

Musical lovers are being privileged right now with a rising tide of musical enthusiasm. Not only are more footlights appearing on the horizon, but musicals are growing more colorful, more confident, more earnest. We have a handful of musical movies remaining before the year's out, and we've yet to see whether they hit the high notes. Still, what an overture In the Heights would be if its immediate successors shared this movie's craftsmanship and spirit.

            --The Professor