I love films! I think we probably can say we already knew that about me. I also love live theater, particularly musicals. So this film was already right up my alley. I love it! I love the feels of summer it gives, I love that it just makes me want to be happy. This musical must have my name written on it somewhere because that is all I want out of life, for it to be summer all the time and to be happy all the time. I will tell you, this film, particularly the $96,000 scene, did momentarily make me sad that I can no longer walk and participate in things the way other people do. I guess I feel like since I can’t do things like other people can, no one will make a movie about me, and that’s all I want. What I want, in reality, is my life to be encapsulated in a movie where it is summer all the time and I am happy all the time. Whew! It feels good to have that figured out. That moment of sadness is drowned out, though, by such happy music and warmness that I don’t leave the film thinking about my own incapabilities and disappointments.
For those who may not know, this was a Broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote Hamilton, before Hamilton was a thing. It is about his life and experience growing up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. I have seen this film seven (7) times and I am convinced that I want to live in Washington Heights. I’m sure I don’t and the film was just advertising Washington Heights as being a beautiful, vibrant New York City suburb but there sure seems to be a sense of culture and of family and acceptance not seen in many other places.
The cast, oof, was so good! They are all unknowns, or relatively unknowns. Anthony Ramos, who might be recognized from the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, A Star is Born (2018), and The Honest Thief, Jimmy Smits from NYPD Blue, Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn-99 are the recognizable stars from this film starring Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Rubin- Vega (who, I bet you didn’t know, was the original Mimi in Rent) Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Marc Anthony among others. The cast is so great and just exudes chemistry. Especially Leslie Grace and Corey Hawkins, and Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera. I felt like I was watching footage of real relationships. Real quick, I just want to say that I know having chemistry takes two people but Anthony ramos’ chemistry with everyone in the cast particularly Olga Merediz and Gregory Diaz IV was just amazing!
I found the cinematography particularly fascinating in this film! The way beams of light are captured is just stunning. Then, when I am talking about the cinematography I have to mention the dance numbers. Each dance number is a different style so if you don’t like one, odds are that you’ll like one (or more) of the other ones. You have the “InThe Heights”number, “96,000,” “Paciencia Y Fe,” there is so much to experience in this movie it is almost impossible not to enjoy it. If someone tells me that they didn’t like it, I will partially feel sorry for them and partially not believe them.
I also love the inclusion of serious problems like death and citizenship along with seemingly
mundane problems like getting lost during a power outage and trying to win the lottery. It shows that whatever problems that people are going through at the moment can feel as big and important as big, “real life” problems. While we’re on the subject of large issues, Olga Merediz, who plays Abuela Claudia and who played her in the Broadway musical for which she earned a Tony Nomination, is surprisingly good. I felt like she was my grandmother. I wanted to just go sit by her and hug her. She embodied the character of a grandmother so perfectly.
The representation! Outstanding! There have been complaints about the representation in this film. People say that it’s not accurate because there are no afro-latin leads. To this I would say…mm okay. I accept that not everyone will be satisfied, but when has everyone been satisfied ever? This is a whole lot more inclusive than the Hollywood film industry has been before. I don’t recall ever seeing a film with a full latin cast before, light skinned or dark skinned. So I think this is a valiant casting effort made by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the film should not be penalized for it.
Ahh! I could talk about this film all day, everyday, forever. I won’t though. I love this film! You should see it, and see it in theaters. It is more powerful that way! And then see it again, it’s worth it.
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