'In the Heights' Review Thread

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% (41 critics) with 8.30 in average ratingMetacritic: 80/100 (19 critics)As with other movies, the scores are set to change as time passes. Meanwhile, I'll post some short reviews on the movie.The movie glows with an abundance of love for its characters, their milieu and the pride with which they defend their cultural footprint against the encroaching forces of New York development that continually shove the marginalized further into the margins. The resilience with which the characters claim their place in the fabric of city life is exhilarating.David Rooney, The Hollywood ReporterAnd so this vivid and revitalizing work of cultural memory couldn’t be more at home in the movie theaters that it’s willing back to life. It leaves you so grateful that someone kept the lights on and preserved the honey-sweet (and slightly embarrassed) vertigo that sweeps over your whole body when you sit in a dark room and surrender to a good musical. All you have to do is see it for yourself. As Usnavi would say: “C’mon! Let’s go!”David Ehrlich, IndieWire: A-So if In the Heights hits different this summer than it might have last year, or 10 years ago, it’s because we’re watching it in a different world. The chorus of paciencia y fe — patience and faith — has a different resonance. The need to assert dignity in small ways, to actively not disappear, feels new. That’s the mark of a vital work of art: that it has something new to say each time someone is willing to listen. I suspect we’ll be listening to In the Heights for a long, long while.Alissa Wilkinson, VoxIn The Heights’ slice-of-life portraiture suggests a less ambitious undertaking than Hamilton, but it tells a story as expansive as that of a fledgling nation. Through both musicals, Miranda demonstrates how ingrained people of color are in this country’s history: Before he reimagined a pivotal chapter in United States history with Black and Latinx actors, the acclaimed multi-hyphenate threw a spotlight on marginalized people’s fight against displacement. At the core of In The Heights, on stage or screen, is movement—as migration, as immigration, as dancing, as code-switching, as the shift from friends to lovers. After nearly 13 years, it’s time for audiences to join the parranda.Danette Chavez, The A.V. Club: B+Just hope your time spent “In the Heights” is as enjoyable as Smits’: The iconic Latin actor seems to be having an absolute ball with the tunes and the moves. And with a musical that doesn’t shy away from tackling issues of racism and immigration, viewers will find themselves immersed in a song-filled, universally relatable story about chasing dreams and building community.Brian Truitt, USA Today: 3/4Screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes, who also wrote the original stage book, finds ways to update the script for 2021 in ways that feel necessary without being invasive: an affecting side plot about DACA; resonant new anecdotes for Grace's Nina, a Stanford student dismayed to discover just how little the Ivy League is able to see beyond her brown skin. For all its rich tapestry and radiant ingenues, it's that casual centering of so many marginalized voices that makes the movie feel, in its own way, revolutionary: a Technicolor marvel as heady as Old Hollywood, and as modern as this moment.Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly: A-Voices shake and voices bellow in this film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway hit. Set in a steadily gentrifying Manhattan neighborhood, In the Heights moves smoothly between cinematic realism and the magic of the stage, in a defiant musical about what it means to belong, and what it means to be remembered. It is one of the most moving and joyful films this year.Siddhant Adlakha, IGN: 9.0 "amazing"If I have one issue with In the Heights, it’s that I didn’t get to see it in a packed theater. This is a movie that demands not only a big screen, but a room full of people to share in the musical experience. It looked great on my TV, and I’m sure those who have HDR will appreciate the look of the film should they choose to watch it on HBO Max. But if you’re fully vaccinated by the time the film opens, I can’t recommend a theatrical experience enough. I know that I’ll be going to the loudest theater I can find so that I can lose myself in a magical land called “Washington Heights.”Matt Goldberg, Collider: AWith “In the Heights,” Chu delivers the Latino equivalent of his previous box office smash “Crazy Rich Asians” and knocks it out of the park. It’s a layered story but a feel-good one that will invite many rewatches. Like “Crazy Rich Asians,” not everyone is going to feel represented when they watch “In the Heights.” That’s an impossible task for any movie. Yet “In the Heights” can represent many things for many different viewers. It can be a story about ambitious, hard-working people chasing their dreams. It can be a reflection on the immigrant experience and the struggle to find where you belong. It can also be a tribute to our parents’ sacrifices.Monica Castillo, The WrapLike a shot of summer holiday straight to the arm, this will have you shimmying out of the cinema and hugging all your neighbours. It’s joyful.Helen O'Hara, Empire: 4/5PLOTLights up on Washington Heights... The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi, who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.DIRECTORJon M. ChuWRITERQuiara Alegría Hudes (based on In the Heights by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda)Release date:June 11, 2021 (on theaters and HBO Max)STARRINGAnthony Ramos as Usnavi de la VegaCorey Hawkins as BennyLeslie Grace as Nina RosarioMelissa Barrera as VanessaOlga Merediz as Abuela ClaudiaDaphne Rubin-Vega as DanielaGregory Diaz IV as Sonny de la VegaJimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario via /r/movies https://ift.tt/3f9vTUC