The result is a gorgeous, warm-hearted, life-affirming film that feels like a celebration of family relationships and chasing your dreams as much as it does a movie.
Meanwhile, Nina , who tries to help her figure herself out.
Maybe it’s because we just started going back to the movies after the isolation and depression of dealing with COVID, but this movie just seemed more vibrant, more colorful, more thoughtful and more moving than any theatrical experience I’ve had in years.
He masterfully creates the right tone to tell this story and his every decision works to uphold the idea that The Heights is a real place, but not too real to feel magical and romantic.
He and Barrera create some sparks in their scenes together, and you end up wanting to see them end up together.
The relationship between Grace and Hawkins is equally great, with a bit of a different feel to it.
Other great performances that need mentioning: Jimmy Smits, as Nina’s dad and owner of the local dispatch Kevin Rosario, is always good.
From the massive opening number, “In the Heights,” which introduces the cast to “Paciencia y Fe,” to Abuela Claudio’s magic moment of memory and celebration of heritage, Miranda’s songs pulse with Latin rhythms, passion and love of music while Chu always finds the right visual representations of the emotions the songs are expressing.