From the creative mind behind the hit Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the director of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, Jon M. Chu, comes the live-action adaptation of ‘In the Heights’, another hit Broadway musical by Quiara Alegría Hudes and the aforementioned Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The film begins with Usnavi De La Vega (portrayed by Anthony Ramos) telling children a story about his life in a place called Washington Heights, a Latin American neighbourhood in New York City, where he owns and operates a bodega (convenience store). While telling his story, the kids also learn about the lives of Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), the neighbourhood’s motherly figure who raised him and other kids, his employee/cousin Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV), his best friend Benny (Corey Hawkins), his love interest Vanessa Morales (Melissa Barrera), and various other characters who populate the very lively and upbeat neighbourhood filled with love, life, culture and of course, plenty of music.

Unfortunately, it’s not always all smiles in the community, as Usnavi receives bad news about his late father’s business back in the Dominican Republic being up for sale, as well as other characters and businesses in the neighbourhood also experiencing financial and personal struggle. With the long history and identity of the neighbourhood slowly diminishing, Usnavi finds himself trying to balance a potential relationship with Vanessa, while also contemplating returning to his homeland to revive his father’s business.

No matter the occasion or state of mind, there is always a song for every situation, and ‘In the Heights’ has plenty of it. All 16 Latin hip hop style songs from the stage musical are featured in the film, with the inclusion of an exclusive new track ‘Home All Summer’. Every song in the movie’s soundtrack was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by the movie’s cast. Miranda is best known for writing and starring in ‘Hamilton the Musical’, the highly successful Broadway stage show that only recently made it to Australia by popular demand.

While he doesn’t actually appear in the stage show versions of ‘In the Heights’, he does make cameo appearances in the movie adaptation as the Piragua Guy selling piragua in the neighbourhood, which are Puerto Rican style snow cones. He even gets his own solo song ‘Piragua’ and joins in on a few other songs with the rest of the cast. His small role in the movie will surely please long-time fans.

With Miranda having a minor but meaningful role, this provides opportunities for the rest of the cast to really shine, and they well and truly all live up to the high expectations set by the stage musical. Singing, acting, or dancing, they bring everything to the table. Anthony Ramos as Usnavi is the heart and soul of the film, and every other character just fits in smoothly, all having excellent chemistry with one another.

The music scenes take place in various locations such as in Usnavi’s bodega, the streets, a salon, pool, nightclub, back alleys, and more, whether it’s moments of celebration, having fun, getting your hair done, romance, triumph, or experiencing personal tragedy. Each song helps carry the plot and tells the individual stories of the main characters.

The transitions between every scene flowed incredibly well and it didn’t feel like there were ever any plot holes. Whether it’s a musical or a regular scene, every character brings so much charm and energy, giving life to Washington Heights. There is never a moment that felt like it didn’t belong.

Even with a predominantly Latin American cast, ‘In the Heights’ still shows a lot of diversity within their community. The variety of characters hail from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and other Latin American countries, with a mixture of immigrants and first-generation Americans. Every character has a story to tell and each of them gets a great amount of time in the spotlight.

‘In the Heights’ is a live-action adaptation of a stage musical done right, and it could very well be the feel-good movie of the year. Fans of Hamilton the Musical and Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as any musical fan, will find plenty to enjoy with all the songs, dances, diversity, and stories in a little place called Washington Heights.

Written by: Sammy Hanson