Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

In The Heights 

This film is a freaking blast to be had! This is a film I’ve been waiting for since it was announced as I’m a massive fan of Lin - Manuel Miranda’s style of writing. He has this very specific style of how his characters are written and his music flows and it’s so unique. After seeing what he did with Hamilton I was stoked to see any other musical he’s ever done as his work is truly remarkable. Here we see a big glamorized Hollywood production of his work on such a epic scale. It has so much heart and incredibly strong performances from the entire cast. This is a film I was smiling all the way through and was never bored it’s so engaging from the moment you see the first frame to the last In The Heights is spectacular and bound to be a classic. 

Firstly, The performances from the entire cast was incredible! Anthony Ramos gives a fantastic leading performance that oozes charisma and gripping honest emotion that will hit you to your core. Then you have Melissa Barrera who delivers an emotionally revealing performance as of at first you see her she never lets her emotions get the best of her. But as the film progresses we see that she wears her heart on her sleeve. It is a performance that crackles with electricity when sharing the sam frame as Ramos. Then you have Olga Merediz who presents a heartfelt performance that will warm your heart from her sincere and honest delivery of her words. But then will break your heart in the second act of the film as she isn’t a leading performance she definitely is a supporting character but whoever she shows up in the frame you cannot take your eyes off of her. She brings a depth to the character and truth that dose not even feel acted she brings her all to this performance and you can’t help but smile when you see her. Everyone in the cast was amazing from Jimmy Smits to Leslie Grace everyone in this film all gave terrific performance that went above and beyond all showcasing incredible emotion and layers that kept you engaged the entire time. But it is the performances from Ramos, Barrera and Merediz who steal the show. 

Secondly, The Film’s themes it tackles is so greatly done! This film discusses themes of race in America, Poverity, low income for small communities and the desire to wanting to reach higher things in life. It dose not hold anything back when going for these themes in the film. As what I loved a great amount about this film is the ability it was to balance the lighter moments with its more serious elements as yes their is great moments of authentic love and happiness and when that is being shown it feels captured in such a real way that dose not feel forced or cheesy and then when it takes on the more emotionally driven heartbreaking sides of the story you feel every wave of what is going on in each one of the characters heart. As there have been movie musicals for the last couple of years like The Greatest Showman and La La Land and those are great but In the Heights is able to capture exactly what those films have been missing which is a balance. What I mean is that for example The Greatest Showman that films music drives its story but what made that film essentially was the positive high that film left you on as it was a sugar coated and very much watered down showcase of a pretty despicable person. But its the music that left the impression on people then you have La La Land great movie. The only thing is what made that film different tho to is it wasn’t your straightforward musical it was a homage to old school musicals set in modern day and was very much more of a story on love and yes the music was part of it but if you took the musical numbers out of it their wouldn’t be much of a big change to it as it was mostly narratively driven. Which is fine but it didn’t have an even balance between musical numbers and the smaller moments with dialogue. As this long rant brings this back around to my point which is that In The Heights brings back the way musicals were meant to be done which is with music and the non music parts being equal and not one overshadowing each other. It worked amazingly as their is a lot of music for sure but you find out about the characters happiness, heartbreak, fears and everything in between through the songs and so when it then came to the non speaking parts you knew how the scene would unfold because they expressed it through song but then would expand upon it in a fantastic way. It had these breathtaking visuals during the songs that are incredible to look at but the big spectacle numbers never down played the dialogue aspect of the film or the important messages it was trying to tell. In The Heights has this perfect balance of music expressing the characters and showing it in a very grand way but still gave them the moment to shine with their incredible range of emotion without singing also it was perfectly mixed and its a way musicals have been done for ages but I haven’t seen this approach done so effectively since Sing Street or Once. In the Heights shows the beautiful highs with soaring music but also is self aware when to hold back and show the more serious aspects and not get to caught up in the mystical aspect of the songs and actually tell the important message that is powerfully presented through great authentic emotion. 

Lastly, In The Heights is a truly magnificent film that brings musicals back to its roots of being able to balance the music with the strong narrative at hand. It tackles very serious topic head on in a honest and realistic depiction while also showing truly knockout performances from the entire cast in emotionally charged and charismatic performances that is impossible to look away from. In The Heights’s music will be tattooed in your brain having you singing it’s music long after its done but also the message it conveys will touch your heart and have you even shed a tear even its a heartwarming tale with amazing music, incredible visuals and truly one of the best musicals I have seen in a very long time. In The Heights is phenomenal and I recommend everyone check it out.  

This film centres around people residing in Washington Heights the dreamers and the ones trying their best to get by and when their block is threatened from being erased or forgotten they make their voices heard and create a lasting impact to show the world they are not invisible. 

Rated PG - 13 : Suggestive references and some language 

Anthony Ramos : Ramos gives an incredible leading performance that shows him as a massive talent as a leading man. Now Anthony Ramos has played small parts in films like A Star is Born and then reprised his role in Hamilton to show his fantastic supporting performance for the filmed stage version Disney plus did in 2020. Now here we see him front and centre in a big musical once again this time its him in the lead not as a supporting role but as the main character. Now I will say after seeing his amazing emotional depth from this film I am so excited to see what he does next. For the reason he shines so bright as Usnavi this optimistic guy that is doing his best to keep his head above water in a very finically difficult world along with trying to make his dreams a reality regardless of the Barries that get in his way. When we are first introduced to him you’re pulled in by his way of grabbing your attention with his incredible charm and gorgeous singing voice. But we also get to learn all we need to know about him in the first song which is the title of the film and instead of going on this massive exposition dump he gives us the bit we need to know and then we see how he then evolves over the course of the story. He plays things very close to the chest as he dose not get involved in things emotionally that much because whenever he does he puts his full heart into it and wants to spare himself that pain. Ramos is able to capture the giddy optimism but also the emotional consciousness so greatly you can’t help but be mesmerized with what he is brining to the frame. When you see him experience the heartbreak if it is a romance or even a family member you can see the true pain in his eyes and in his heart. He shows so much range of himself emotionally yes for the character but also as an actor as theirs so much that this character unpacks within the 2 hours we get with him and Ramos uses that to his advantage and really shows so many sides to this role. You can tell he is having a Total blast playing this part but he brings this character to such life with such honest emotion that felt so real and authentic its a leading performance you’ll smile through but will for sure touch your heart. While impressing you that Ramos is a truly gifted actor with the range to play such a juicy role in this film. He is truly amazing giving a truly terrific performance that will have your eyes glued to him the entire time. 

Melissa Barrera : Barrera gives a riveting performance as Vanessa in this! This is her debut performance on film which is insane because she’s such a natural onscreen. The fact that this is her first performance blows me away because she plays the co lead next to Ramos and really rises to the challenge and holds her own in a truly captivating performance. She plays Vanessa the aspiring fashion designer that hopes to make a name for herself but keeps her dreams and aspirations to herself and is a secret dreamer due to her fear of being judged. She has a thing for Usnavi but dose not say anything as like him she has a tough time expressing herself emotionally to others which is exactly what makes those two click perfectly. She convays strong willed emotional depth that gets peeled back as the film progresses as she makes herself appear as very emotionally closed off but its only until she connects more with Usnavi where she feels she can be herself and let her guard down and really show her true authentic self. So whenever they argue or her feelings get hurt you see her heart take a blow and she will break down into tears and still say she’s fine which is so powerful. She is also a very Independent person that dose not need anyone to make a future for herself but as mentioned previously when she finds that support in Usnavi she realizes how alone she’s been. The way the emotion is shown by Melissa is so electrifying as she steals each frame she’s in if its from her incredible voice or amazing emotional range she’s powering through scene after scene. She brings the character to great life with a honesty that is felt in each word she says and for this to be her first ever performance on film is truly astonishing. As I cannot wait to see what she does next as she impressed the hell out of me with her amazing work here with In The Heights. Overall she delivers a performance that at first is emotionally restrained but as the film progresses really shows so many layers of herself with a scene stealing performance that will have you in absolute awe. 

Olga Merediz : Olga moved me to tears and  she deserves an Oscar nomination for her work in this! Olga gives a performance that is subtle but hits you like a punch in the chest with such raw emotion. She has this supporting turn in the film its not a major part but in many ways she is the heart of the story. She plays a mother like figure to everyone on the block and can reassure the most stressful situation with a hug or a piece of usual wisdom that can sooth the soul. Whenever she appears on the screen I don’t know how to describe it but it didn’t feel like acting as she did such a brilliant job it felt real like that was someones family figure up onscreen. The way she would give a passing smile to anyone on the street but also knowing the growing concerns for how pricy the block was becoming without telling the others to not cause stress when it is not called for so she would carry that burden herself. It is a performance that is emotionally powerful in each frame but the scene in which I dare anyone to watch with a dry eye is when she performs her own musical number. She goes through her entire life in the span of a four to five minute song that perfectly captures her journey up to that point in her life and the way she sings it hits your heart in a place that makes you smile with tears streaming down your face all at once. She brings this emotional warmth that will melt your heart and there is such a realness to what she says with the softness in her delivery and the look in her eyes. She isn’t in the film to to much but when she is onscreen it is impossible to look away she delivers what I think is the best performance of the film and the one that will stay with you long after the film is over Olga Merediz is masterful in this film. 

Jon M. Chu : Jon once again gives masterful direction! This man knows how to do big sweeping spectacles without loosing perspective on the human aspect of the story. He did that same approach with Crazy Rich Asian’s and does it once more here. As here he shows the massive scale of this musical but at the same time keeps it very intimate and personal which I loved. As I mentioned the film tackles very heavy themes in the film and it dose not come across as preachy but effective in a way that you noticed and really brings some serious topics to the full front that works. He also set up the musical numbers in a way that expressed the emotion of each character perfectly so the visuals that pop off during that specific scene will cater to what that specific person feels and its perfect as its a visual treat to the eyes but never looses the heart of what its trying to say. He brings this adaptation of the stage show to the screen in such a gorgeous way its not just a film with a fantastic set of songs its able to showcase truly great performances while giving great songs that’s the icing on the cake. It is a two for one punch as he talks about very relevant issues in America in this film all the while still having fun but keeping an even balance of the mystical musical fun while keeping it all grounded with the material which I appreciated so much. I heard he is doing the Wicked movie adaption which I am so excited for and after seeing how he did In The Heights I know he’s the perfect choice to helm that film as here he brings the traditional old Hollywood style of musicals back. He gets great performances from his actors and gives amazing hispanic representation as I have not seen a musical about hispanics since West Side Story it was long overdue and the film had me smiling and crying and just having a great time and Jon M. Chu truly captured the magic and importance of this story so beautifully onscreen what truly amazing direction.