“In the Heights”

Directed by: Jon M. Chu

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 2:23

Adapted from the musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Jon M. Chu of “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), “In the Heights” tells the story through song and dance of Washington Heights, a tight-knit Latin American community in New York City. The narrative follows quite a few characters and storylines, but it mainly the charismatic Bodega owner, Usnavi, played by actor Anthony Ramos, best known for his role in Miranda’s outrageously famous show, “Hamilton.” Throughout the film, Usnavi sings about Washington Heights and a better life for everyone there all the while missing what magic has been right in front of him the whole time. 

I am going to start by noting the very few positives of this film before I jump into the main issues at hand and get ready, because there are a lot of issues that I had with this overhyped piece of propaganda. Speaking positively, the choreography and the constantly mobile cinematography are spectacular — there’s no doubt about that. The direction by Jon M. Chu was definitely another great aspect of the film. Audiences already know that Chu is a decent director after his critically-acclaimed blockbuster, “Crazy Rich Asians,” but “In the Heights” gave him a shot at showcasing just how intricate and explosive the young director can make a simple song and dance scene feel. However, aside from the directing, singing, dancing, and a few comedic beats here and there, this film was total chaos — and not in the positive way in which I described Disney’s “Cruella” last week.

To preface my negative opinions on the movie, I should tell you that I am not a fan of “Hamilton” nor very much one of Lin-Manuel Miranda. I know this is an unpopular opinion, trust me, but this “phenomenon” for lack of a better term that is simply Lin Manuel-Miranda’s brand and name, is completely overrated. By no means am I saying he has no talent; I think he is extremely talented, and when he first appeared on Hollywood’s map, his work was special and ground-breaking. But just because his name is on a project does not mean that it is automatically going to be the best film or show ever. Furthermore, I feel like both fans and critics do not have the heart to admit to themselves that it is all right to not adore something of his. On the topic of Lin-Manuel Miranda himself, though, while I did expect one rightful cameo from him in the film, I did not expect five and after just two of them, it became entirely too narcistic and annoying for me to appreciate his talent. It would have been more justifiable had he been at least a supporting character in the film, but instead, he was a snow cone seller who received way too many minutes of screen time. But he’s Lin-Manuel Miranda: He can do anything he wants and nearly everyone supports it. 

While the musical’s narrative is one that is built upon racial stereotypes and ideologies, these important societal factors are not built upon enough in the storyline to feel as important as they should feel. Yes, race-related incidents are brought up throughout the story, but half the time they are just mentioned and not at all explored before another plot point or song comes along. If I am being completely honest, the film had way too many musical numbers to where it became a little daunting by the halfway mark. If a few of the singing and dancing scenes had been replaced with a deeper exploration of these slightly-hidden racial ideologies, I genuinely think that it would have made the plot more enjoyable and easier to believe. Instead, I found myself wondering how on earth this film gets by with a messy plot and very few significant dialogue moments. The filmmakers didn’t even preface the film by giving the audience a time period, leaving everyone lost as to what year it is supposed to take place in. After researching it a bit, I do think that the film was supposed to be set in the early 2000s, but the costuming was so contemporary that it made the time jump that does eventually happen feel entirely too unrealistic because not a thing changed. But this brings me to my final dispute with this film: the costuming.

Costuming is of major importance to me in any film but especially in a musical. I really expected so much more style out of this film. Instead, this was the worst costume design I have ever seen in any film or television show, for that matter. I understand that maybe the costume designer was trying to play into a “street style” vibe given the narrative and characters, but these costumes were not only completely taste-less and uncool, but again, too contemporary for it to have been before the present-day time-jump. Disastrous and disgraceful are the only two words I have to describe it. You would think that having one of the main characters be a “fashion designer” that at least her outfits would be decent, but no: Her looks were the worst of them all.

I knew that I personally would not love this film given my dislike of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s previous work, but even the people I was with while viewing the film agreed. “In the Heights” is all hype with no climax. Not to mention that aside from the dragging plot already making the movie feel extensive, the runtime is too long in general. It easily could have been an hour shorter and would have probably been a better film with a more focused storyline. I don’t know what Kool-Aid these other critics are drinking to think this nonsense deserved a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, but this musical was unfortunately a waste of both time and money for me. Believe me when I say that if this film weasels its way into 2022 awards season, I will lose almost all faith in this industry. 

I give the film a 4 out of 10 because the singing and dancing was incredible but still not enough to help me get over wasting $12 on a ticket.