251. In the Heights; movie review

 

IN THE HEIGHTS

Cert PG

137 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild bad language, sex references

I love musicals but I wonder whether In The Heights tries too hard to pull the genre into 2021.

The trailers led me to believe that John M. Chu's movie would be a cross between Hairspray and La La Land.

And, to be fair, there are traits of both of those wonderful films.

But, despite the more up-to-date, rappier-style of song, the storyline lets it down because it is more in common with High School Musical.

In The Heights is narrated by its central character, Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) a hard-working shopkeeper who lives in the New York suburb of Washington Heights.

He dreams about returning to his homeland of the Dominican Republic has eyes for a beautiful nail technician (Melissa Barrera) but cannot express his feelings.

Opposite his shop is a taxi company owned by another same-made man (Jimmy Smits) whose daughter (Leslie Grace) is back home from a prestigious university.

She is scared to tell him that she has dropped out because of racial intimidation.

Certainly, social issues come to the fore during Chu's movie with race, status, love and financial pressure all part of the equation.

But the neighbourhood is united in song and there is much toe-tapping thanks to some uplifting numbers.

I loved the progressive dance routines which felt as if a Flash Mob had been combined with the best of Oliver!

However, the reliance on a cast of little-known actors and a fairly superficial plot meant that In the Heights fell short of recent successful musicals.

Reasons to watch: Uplifting songs

Reasons: Low-key storyline

Laughs: One

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Director John M. Chu has named his newborn son Heights in honour of the film.

The final word. Lin-Manuel Miranda: "We had to have the audacity to write about ourselves with love, and to write about struggling businesses and struggling with college and the stuff that everyone else has permission to write about but us, apparently. If we do it, we’re airbrushing." Vox

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