'In the Heights' Review

Synopsis: The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside the 181st Street subway stop. The likable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines, and sings about a better life.

Runtime: 143 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some language and suggestive references)

Who should see it? Fans of the stage show, movie musicals, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Based on Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes's stage musical, In the Heights is directed by Jon Chu and features a screenplay from Quiara Alegría Hudes. Before Hamilton, In the Heights was Lin-Manuel Miranda's claim-to-fame. It's always exciting to see a hit musical materialize on the big screen, much less one from Miranda. Minutes into a vivid opening number, it became clear that Jon Chu was an excellent choice to helm this adaptation. Chu previously directed the visually splendid rom-com Crazy Rich Asians, and those eye-catching sensibilities carry over nicely here. 

Sufficed to say, In the Heights carves out its own space amongst the genre as a contemporary crowd pleaser. The diverse blend of musical stylings ranging from rap, R&B, and hip-hop to ballads, salsa, and merengue culminates in an earworm of a soundtrack. Every musical number is a showstopper, and Miranda's tendency to intermingle varying styles in a single song gives the chords an extra punch. The song-and-dance numbers carry an infectious cheery atmosphere and plenty of striking imagery. Christopher Scott's choreography uniquely incorporates seemingly mundane settings and ordinary objects, while Alice Brooks' cinematography and supplemental special effects lend the songs a look befitting the big screen. While the human drama remains grounded in reality, there are no limits for Chu's vision once characters begin singing or rapping. A burst of energy and dreamlike ambiance overtake the audience, and viewers will be awestruck. You'll be pleasantly surprised when songs like "96,000," "Carnaval Del Barrio," and "Blackout" pervade your mind for days to come. All of the music is quite catchy, though. And I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Broadway recording since the complete film soundtrack wasn't yet available when I first saw it. 

I haven't seen the stage version, but I could pinpoint story changes in developing In the Heights for the big screen from listening to the Broadway recording. I suspect this was to reign in the runtime and simplify certain story elements. None of the alterations seemed significant, so I suppose diehard fans of that version won't mind. One thing not lost in translation is that Hudes's script expertly balances a large ensemble, who instantly endears the audience. Each character must grapple with grounded obstacles holding them back from their sueñitos (dreams). Their struggles are rooted in reality, whether it be financial strife, undocumented immigration, or familial/relationship drama. 

The sense of community amongst the Washington Heights barrio (Spanish-speaking neighborhood) feels especially sincere on behalf of the cast's chemistry. There's not a weak link in the cast, and everyone has their moment in the spotlight. As Usnavi, Anthony Ramos proves to be a charismatic presence and dynamic performer. I expect he'll break out as a very in-demand male lead. Opposite Ramos, Melissa Barrera's Vanessa makes for a compelling love interest. Olga Merediz reprises her role of Abuela Claudia from the stage version, and her impassioned rendition of "Paciencia y Fe" will surely tug on your heartstrings. One of the biggest stand-outs, though, is undoubtedly Gregory Diaz IV's Sonny. Diaz steals many scenes with incredible comic timing and will charm you within minutes of his introduction. Otherwise, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Jimmy Smits, and Daphne Rubin-Vega are impressionable supporting players. 

As a fan of musicals, I can sometimes be their harshest critic. However, I haven't been this enamored with a new one since seeing La La Land. Hamilton honestly didn't do it for me, but In the Heights cements the musical genius of Lin Manuel-Miranda, and it's easy to see how this was his stepping stone to stardom. One thing's for sure, though. I have a soft spot for all-encompassing movie musicals which highlight the importance of chasing your sueñitos. 

Film Assessment: A

'Crazy Rich Asians' Review

Crazy Rich Asians follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young, to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but also nervous about meeting Nick's family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to inform her of key details of his life. It turns out he is not only the heir to one of the country's wealthiest families, but also one of its most sought after bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse - Nick's disapproving mother. It soon becomes clear that while money can't buy love, it can definitely complicate things.

Based on Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel, Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy directed by Jon Chu while Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim were charged with adapting Kwan's novel into a feature length script. Kwan and Chu had two major distribution offers from Netflix and Warner Bros. The distribution deal with Netflix was enticing because it entailed artistic freedom, a green-lighted trilogy, and a seven figure payday. However, the two ultimately went with Warner Bros because it meant a major studio would be throwing its weight behind a theatrical release with an all Asian ensemble. While it may not seem like it at first glance, Crazy Rich Asians is going to probably mean a lot to most Asian audience members. The reason being that it's one of the first times they've probably felt fully represented in the cinema. 

It's no secret that Asians are perhaps the demographic most underserved by Hollywood. Oftentimes, Asia is seen by studio executives as little more than a market with substantial box office potential. In recent years, this has lead a number of major blockbusters to stage their big action set-pieces in Asian countries and star Asian talent, but more often than not, this feels like pandering rather than proactive inclusion. The reason being that these locations and actors are rarely given a meaningful purpose or chance to shine within the context of the story, instead simply there to sell tickets overseas. Well, times are changing, as Crazy Rich Asians is the first Hollywood studio movie since 1993 to feature an all Asian or Asian-American cast (Wayne Wang's Joy Luck Club being the most recent case). 

Recently, films depicting minority gender, sexuality, or race seem to harbor an inner desire to make bold statements about our current socio-political atmosphere. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with that provided the commentary is tastefully incorporated, rarely do these features make an effort to normalize diversity through the lens of a movie that's ordinary. Well, Crazy Rich Asians does just that. It's proud of its heritage and culture, but doesn't make a big deal of it and is sure not to shove it in your face. It's a conventional rom-com which just happens to be set in Singapore and star an entirely Asian cast. These elements are intentionally interwoven tightly into the story so that it couldn't really be made any other way, and I find it respectable that the studio didn't handicap the production by whitewashing any characters for the sake of the picture's commerciality. It's proud of its ensemble, but never boastful. 

Perpetuating the idea that it's normal to release a major Hollywood movie lead by Asians will only enable other films to follow suit. From that standpoint, Crazy Rich Asians is definitely a big deal, and you should totally support it if you'd like to see greater Asian representation in Hollywood. Before discussing the film's shortcomings, I'd like to say that cinematographer Vanja Cernjul had a nice eye for capturing the extravagant sets and lavish costumes. The production design and costumery were gorgeous and really accentuated the overabundance of wealth these characters possess. Otherwise, I honestly found it to be a by-the-books rom-com. Light-hearted and entertaining, but nothing too special.

Then again, I'm really not the target audience for this sort of thing... Though Crazy Rich Asians does definitely suffer from some sluggish pacing and an overabundance of formulaic storylines at times, I quite enjoyed the film overall. I won't rush to buy it on Blu-Ray or anything, but I certainly wouldn't complain if ever goaded into watching it on a date.

What most elevates Crazy Rich Asians above its cliché-ridden narrative though is its excellent ensemble. Constance Wu is smart, sweet, and down-to-earth as Rachel while Henry Golding exudes a pleasant personality and an abundance of charm in the role of Nick Young, and spark certainly were flying between the two. I've heard murmurings of Golding being a good fit for Bond (he's British-Malaysian so it wouldn't violate the rule of Bond being British), and will concede I'd absolutely be up for that after seeing his work here. Elsewhere, Michelle Yeoh excels in the space of Nick's protective, disapproving mother and the other members of the Young family are wonderfully played by Gemma Chan, Pierre Png, Nico Santos, Remy Hii, Ronny Chieng, Victoria Loke, Lisa Lu, and a host of other actors.

As supporting player, Awkwafina leaves perhaps the most memorable impression since a great deal of the comedic relief comes from her character Peik Lin Goh. Other members of her family similarly serve up some big laughs and are portrayed by Ken Jeong, Koh Cheng Mun, and Calvin Wong respectively. On the more serious side of things, Tan Kheng Hua plays Rachel's mother and she really relishes in every tender moments shared with Wu. 

Crazy Rich Asians is by no means groundbreaking in terms of storytelling, but it's certainly a significant step forward for Asian representation in Hollywood. Based on the box office projections, the film should soon recoup its budget and I imagine other studios will see that centering films around Asian ethnic groups can make them crazy rich as well!

Film Assessment: B

'Now You See Me 2' Review

Now You See Me 2 picks up a year after the original, although the film seemed unclear on that citing the time difference as 18 months and another point 2 years. Just a small nitpick that I felt the need to address that would have seemed random had I waited to discuss it. Anyways, the Horseman are the protagonists this time around with a few minor shakeups in regards to the cast, Isla Fisher's Henley has been replaced with Lizzy Caplan's Lula, the stakes are higher, the tricks are grander, and the action's even bigger. So yes, Now You See Me 2 should be diagnosed with sequelitis as it aspires to be bigger and better than the first. 

Like Now You See Me, this film hasn't been too well received by critics as both hold rotten critic tomato-meter scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but I enjoyed both regardless and still acknowledge their flaws which I will discuss in a moment. It's relatively rare that I find myself disagreeing with a majority of critics, although this year I feel they've been particularly harsh on quite a few blockbusters and I think this film found itself in the midst of that and it probably didn't help that critics weren't a fan of the execution of the magical Robin Hoods to begin with. 

Critics are primarily poking holes in Now You See Me 2's reliance on a sense of disbelief to wow the audience with magic spectacle, and while that is indeed true, I think that's not too farfetched considering the film is about magic and Fast and Furious gets away with ridiculousness all the time. 

Another weakness being pried at is the screenplay penned by Ed Solomon. The script doesn't really service all of the characters in regards to providing more character depth as some characters earn more focus that was certainly warranted while others remain supporting players and the writers had to factor in new additions to the story. The sequel also doesn't have as many twists and turns as the original, and unfortunately some were a tad predictable. I did enjoy the explanations behind the tricks like done in the predecessor and I was glad that element was carried over. 

Jon Chu takes over the director's chair from Louis Leterrier and brings a flashier visual aesthetic and high energy action. The editing kept a quick pace and allowed for some clean quick cuts that showcased some swanky cinematography. I liked the visual effects work as it looked believable when used, although in some cases the magic tricks they were accompanied with seemed outright impractical. While unfeasible, the magic sequences were quite enjoyable with some nifty tricks ranging from bonkers to amazing. 

The standout sequence in my mind, which wasn't a "trick" per say, but a practical sequence where the Horseman must exchange a card amongst the group. The scene delivered a nice balance of amazement, humor, and suspense. I must commend the action sequences that are vastly improved from the first with some claustrophobic fight choreography that was very cool and incorporated some nice feats by the various Horseman.

The talented cast from Now You See Me return, with a few exceptions, and I feel they elevated their performances for the most part. Mark Ruffalo's role is beefed up providing more for the actor to do as the Horseman's leader Dylan Rhodes and I felt he was the most relatable and sympathetic character this time around. Rhodes gets a cool action chase sequence in China and his character's backstory is more fleshed out with a meaty more well rounded role that allowed for some nice emotional beats. Ruffalo is a terrific actor and I think he was one of the standouts once again as the role cultivates nice ground for Ruffalo to showcase his talents. 

Jesse Eisenberg gets an intriguing arc as J. Daniel Atlas focusing on the qualities of his character, stepping on the toes of others as his ego encourages him to strive towards Dylan's position as leader of the Horseman. I felt Eisenberg did a nice job bringing out the cocky nature of his character and straying away from the awkwardness he exhibited earlier this year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. 

Woody Harrelson plays two roles, and it was so awkward. Harrelson plays both twin hypnotists Merritt, returning Horseman, and Chase McKinney and I liked the comedic relief he brought with Merritt, but found his twin brother to be completely unnecessary and just plain weird. 

Dave Franco is charming as Jack Wilder, but his character once again felt flat. Franco has nice moments, but never felt like a rounded character as opposed to the other Horseman. 

Lizzy Caplan was a very welcome addition as Lula. I liked how her character acknowledged she was the only female in the group and her quirky, fun personality made for a nice shakeup among the group. Caplan exhibited great comedic timing and line delivery and I actually felt while watching that she would have been a great contender for a better female Ghostbusters cast (My issues with that will be reserved for my review of that next month). 

Caplan and Franco exhibit some nice chemistry as a potential romantic pairing and the Horseman cohesively once again carried charisma that made the proceedings all the more enjoyable. 

Daniel Radcliffe made for a delightful young methodical antagonist as Walter Mabry that just felt compulsory to explain the steps of his grand tricks completely foiling the illusion. Radcliffe isn't given significant depth like many of his fellow cast members but makes for an engaging presence onscreen. 

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman return and I actually liked their inclusion as the continuation of their respective character arcs injected some surprise into the proceedings. A few nice additions in the supporting department are Sanaa Lathan as the FBI's Deputy Director Natalie Austin and Jay Chou's Li.

One thing to keep in mind if you plan on seeing Now You See Me 2 I would highly recommend either watching or rewatching Now You See Me as the film begins expecting the audience has seen the first film. This wasn't an issue for me since I rewatched it last week for a Throwback Thursday Review. 

In summation, Now You See Me 2 is without a doubt bigger than it's predecessor, and I personally feel that it was indeed better, but I can acknowledge the story flaws, lack of character depth, and over reliance on disbelief as weaknesses. However, the film's entertainment value is amplified thanks to Chu's extravagant aesthetic, cooler action sequences, and the talented cast making it a slightly more enjoyable experience in my mind.

Film Assessment: B