Film Review — In the Heights
This determinedly feel-good musical will find a large and appreciative audience, but it fell flat for me
In the Heights, based on the stage musical by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, is, I suspect, destined to become a runaway smash akin to The Greatest Showman, which received sniffy reviews from critics, but repeat business adoration from the great unwashed. I was with the sniffy critics on that occasion, but reviews so far for In the Heights have been far better. Perhaps this time I’m destined to be at odds with both critics and audiences because frankly I also struggled to connect with In the Heights.
This is a shame, as I really, really wanted to like it. I have no problem with the plot being predictable in films of this kind, but I found the characters little more than one-dimensional soap-opera ciphers. The bulk of the narrative concerns bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) who aspires to return to the Dominican Republican, rebuild his ancestral home, and open a beach bar. His dream is complicated by romantic inclinations towards Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), who wants to be a fashion designer. There’s a subplot involving his friend Benny (Corey Hawkins), who still holds a candle for Nina (Leslie Grace), whose father Kevin (Jimmy Smits) made huge sacrifices to send her to college, but she’s…
