In The Heights - Jon M. Chu

 I can't tell you what the last movie I saw in a theatre was. I honestly can't. It might have been, in fact now that I really think about it, it was The Last Jedi. That is not to say I haven't been to the movie theatre, just that I have mainly been going to the Met Opera: Live in HD events. The last one I saw of those was pre-pandemic.

Last night however, I was standing in front of an AMC waiting for a group of people. A friend of mine had gotten together a group to rent out a theatre and watch "In The Heights." It was a really good experience, though I'm still not sure a small bag of popcorn and a bottled water need to be almost $20. Yet I made that choice so I only have myself to blame on spending it. And you are not here to read about my experience, but about the film. By now I can only assume, dear reader, that you are a fan of live theatre, of musicals, and of movies. So I can also assume that you have heard of this show before it was a movie. If by some chance you have not, here is a quick recap.

In The Heights was the first Broadway production of a show by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It opened in 2008 and won a few Tony awards that season. It was written by Lin-Manuel, and he also played the lead. The story is about a community in Washington Heights in New York City. It takes place over a few days in the summer, and is about growth, change, family, and community. Usnavi, Sonny, Benny, Nina, and Vanessa - their relationships are the focus of the show. I feel that a lot of the show is about finding your place in the world, your home. So it can feel like it is aimed towards a 20-something audience, but I think everyone can relate. The music often has a Latin feel, and it also includes rap. I think my first experience with it was the Tony Awards, and I was intrigued. I bought the cast album and loved it. There is so much salsa sprinkled through out and that just makes me happy. To me there is nothing like a good rhythm and some brass. 

I saw the first Broadway tour at the Orpheum back in December of 2009. I was moved and thought it was incredible. The full story, the characters, the music and especially the movement. The choreography was nothing like I had seen on a Broadway stage before - hip-hop dancing, pop and lock, mixed in with salsa, and standard Broadway dance. There were at least one visual moment that brought me to tears, and the music made me happy cry. 

So did I expect anything less from the movie directed by Jon M. Chu? Nope. It was everything I could have wanted. The casting was perfect, the music was fantastic, the direction, cinematography, and choreography were all wonderful. In short - I doubt you will be disappointed. There are some songs missing from the cast recording, and a few changes in characters but I feel like those changes were made to tighten the story, and nothing was really lost. It is a great movie musical.

Would I have made some changes? sure. I think amongst the dancers it would have been great to see some full bodied individuals - female and male. I also think some of the choreography could have been a wider shot so we saw more of the full body (but that is a constant complaint with movie musicals). The one visual surprise that I loved on the stage was not there but the essence of it was there in a different way so I am good with that. I'm sure this will be one of the big blockbusters of the summer - at least among a certain group of people. And make sure to stay through the credits.