‘In The Heights’ Is A Joyous Celebration Of The Latinx Diaspora [Review]

There’s an uncontainable joy that’s threatening to burst out of most Latinxs when they hear someone shout ¿bendición? in a movie. Even more so when it happens in a movie like “In the Heights,” one of the biggest Hollywood productions in recent years to feature Latinxs front and center in a refreshing way. The truth is, not all Latinxs can sing or dance like the characters in Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of this Broadway darling. Still, the vibrant singing and dancing aren’t what makes this musical so special, even though Puerto Ricans can be known for their incredible ability to move their bodies to just about any sound. “In the Heights” pulls off the impossible as it accurately represents the Dominican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and many other Latin diasporas in the United States.

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¿Bendición?, which literally translates to “bless me,” is commonly used as a sign of affection — a request to your parents or grandparents before leaving the house — and is first heard in the movie after Usnavi, played by the magnetic Anthony Ramos (“Hamilton,” “A Star is Born“), visits Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), the matriarch who took care of him and other kids that grew up in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. Usnavi, who every now and then will burst into song, is a bodega owner who dreams of selling the store and moving back to the Dominican Republic. In a very Latinx fashion, “In the Heights” isn’t just about Usnavi (a wordplay on U.S. Navy). Latinx culture rarely ever travels alone, and our stories are never just about us but our collective experiences. It is that strong sense of community that defines Latinxs everywhere they go and which better translates into this two-hour and twenty-minute celebration of cultural heritage.

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An array of secondary characters with their own hopes and dreams populate the streets of Washington Heights in this adaptation, written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Quiara Alegría Hudes from her own stage play, which producer Lin-Manuel Miranda co-wrote. The three-time Tony Award winner of Puerto Rican descent can be seen briefly as Mr. Piragüero in the film after having aged out of the character he famously portrayed more than a decade ago. This mosaic of colorful characters also includes the emotionally conflicted Nina (Leslie Grace), the first of her family to go to college, and the hardened Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), Usnavi’s love interest.

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They all come together as the result of a blackout that feels too close to José Luis González’s “La noche que volvimos a ser gente” (The night we became people again) to be a coincidence. In the acclaimed short story, a group of immigrants living in New York is brought together during a power failure that clears the starry night for the first time since they left Puerto Rico. The sudden absence of electricity in the story hits close to home in more than one way. The obvious one, in the shape of recent memories of hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in 2017 and left the island powerless for months. The other one is how everyone comes together in the face of adversity, finding support and even entertainment in each other. Credit goes to Quiara’s screenplay, which ingeniously turns an inconvenience into a colossal celebration in which everyone’s ethnicities are on full display.

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Although not perfect in execution, the musical numbers of this adaptation take characterization to new heights as they each respond to the popular music of the character’s country of origin. For example, Usnavi typically sings to the beats of merengue and bachata, while boricuas do the same to salsa and bomba y plena. Even the matriarch, Abuela Claudia, pays homage to her Cuban roots with an emotional rendition of the song “Paciencia y fe” (Patience and faith), which mixes salsa and bolero with profound and heartbreaking results. This musical number, one of the highest points in the movie, also helps push forward the ongoing theme of immigration, but more specifically, the places and/or people we leave behind in the pursuit of better opportunities.

Director Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”), son of immigrant parents, fits almost like a glove here but is held back by some of the numbers’ surprising lack of inventiveness. Chu brings that same music video aesthetic to a film that needs its numbers to feel as grounded as the characters performing them with a vast background directing dance movies and concerts. The choreographies that work the most are the ones that center on celebration instead of moving the story, like when the whole community sings about proudly raising your flag, which for Latinxs is more about never losing your identity than it is about excessive patriotism.

The result of years of paciencia y fe is a movie adaptation that shies away from portraying Latinxs as drug lords or gang members but as hard-working members of a community with dreams as big as anyone else’s and artistic voices yearning to be heard.  This is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest merits of “In the Heights,” the first of two musicals showcasing the Latinx experience programmed to be released this year and quite possibly the only one to be praised for its accuracy. [B+]

“In the Heights” will play in theaters starting June 11 and will also be available to stream on HBO Max for 30 days.