Review of In the Heights (2021) by Simon-J — 14 Jul 2021

I'm so disappointed for all involved that this bombed in cinemas! Hopefully people discover it in years to come on the small screen.

Incredible choreography, masterful lyrics, brilliant casting and performances. I've watched the opening 8 minutes on YouTube about twenty times; I can't get over the level of love and care put into every frame, every choreographed action and every dynamic camera move.

I especially liked the way they *didn't* resort to using a Hollywood star, and just used very talented actor-singer-dancers. And the finale took me by surprise and made me well up!

I've deducted a mark for lack of "blockbuster" choruses, possibly a reason 'word of mouth' faltered. I can sing the songs now, of course, having listened to them on Spotify multiple times, but have to admit I wasn't really humming a tune coming out of the cinema. I guess the 'grower' quality of the songs gives it less immediate appeal than the likes of 'The Greatest Showman' which has several absolutely banging choruses.