In the Heights (2021) - A complete winner

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+ Best American Movie of the Year + Best Musical of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Romance of the Year

 

The four young leading characters made into a mural on this delightful, colorful poster for Jon M. Chu's In the Heights

Usnavi is a young man about to turn 30, working in a convenience store in Washington Heights, New York, while dreaming of a future far away. And dreams are plentiful over-all in the latino-dominated neighborhood.

In the Heights is written by Quiara Alegría Hudes (My America (2012, TV-series)), adapting the same-titled 2005 musical by Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Clayton's Friends (1996)), and directed by Californian master filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2: the Streets (2008)), whose 10th feature it is.

In the Heights is like a shot of really good vitamins, the very top shelf of cinema vitamins, as this is a musical that is brimming with vitality, musicality, physical expression, meanings, romance and great values.

The story is a journey of personal development, especially of lead Usnavi, SPOILER who has to face that he already belongs to a wonderful community, and that his dreams are built on the unnecessary illusion that he has to start completely over in another country which he doesn't really know. But there are faceted stories around his as well: Especially of Vanessa, his secret sweetheart's doubts about her prestigious education at Stanford University and her wish to unburden herself from her father's huge expectations. The musical takes it upon itself to introduce its audiences to a general identity for the latino immigrants, and Usnavi's adoptive grandmother Claudia exemplifies this strong-willed, hard-working individual who is hell-bend on making a good living for herself in the US.

The film is a spirited musical and swinging from the get-go, fueled by an urban rhythm that goes on and explodes in countless absolutely fabulous set-piece song and dance numbers: 96,000 (at the public pool), Pacienca y Fe and Alabanza are just some of the terrific show-stoppers that are truly soul-lifting pieces of entertainment, like balm to the cinema-lover's soul after the crushing months of China Virus lockdowns.

The cast is a sensational group of performers who all deserve credit: Anthony Ramos (Monsters and Men (2018)) is a hell of a charmer as our dopey hero with the strange name Usnavi, (get the explanation for that in the film); Melissa Barrera (L for Leisure (2014)) is strong as Vanessa, who deals with many issues; of search for identity, racism, a strained father relationship and uncertainty as to her future and purpose in life; Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead (2015-16)) is a gift to the screen as Benny; and Leslie Grace holds her own fine as his romantic interest Nina, who dreams of being a clothes designer and live downtown. They all sing and dance like a dream. There's Olga Merediz (Custody (2016)), wonderful as Claudia, a loving heart for the film; Jimmy Smits (Cane (2007, TV-series)) is tremendous as Vanessa's father, and young Greogry Diaz  IV (Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt (2018, TV-series)) has a bright performance as Usnavi's cousin Sonny.

Rarely does a film for adults push out the first kiss between its romantic center for as long as happens here, but In the Heights makes it work for it, as we have been too involved and entertained during the long wait to roll our eyes, and when the thing really takes place, a whoosh went through the packed, heatwave-stricken theater that I saw the film in, as hearts raced inexorably in the patrons in their seats. Emotions soar, there's laughter and tears and so much rampant joy and humanity at its best to celebrate in In the Heights: This is a film you do not wanna miss at a cinema!

 

Related post:

 

Jon M. Chu: 2021 in films - according to Film Excess

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 55 mil. $

Box office: 39.7 mil. $ and counting

= Uncertain but looks to become a huge flop

[In the Heights premiered 9 June (USA, Iceland, Indonesia) and runs 143 minutes. The film was supposed to be directed by Kenny Ortega in 2008, but plans stalled without a major latino star attached. Shooting took place from June 2019 - ? in New York, including in Washington Heights. The film makes several changes to the story and characters from the stage musical. The release was postponed for many months due to the China Virus pandemic, and the film was eventually released simultaneously to theaters and as streaming at HBO Max. The streaming service announced that it only was streamed at 693k households during its first weekend. It opened #2, behind holdover hit A Quiet Place II, to an 11.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and has grossed 28.8 mil. $ to date. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets at the moment are the UK with 5.3 mil. $ and Australia with 2.5 mil. $, while most other foreign markets are listing tiny receptions. Several markets are opening soon: 22 July (Germany, Italy), 30 July (Japan), 19 August (Hungary, Slovakia), 20 August (India) and 9 September (Russia), but the film is falling far, far behind in terms of breaking even or becoming a hit. Reportedly 50 mil. $ was additionally spent on marketing it. Chu has 4 films slated as director in pre-production. Ramos returns in In Treatment (2021, TV-series), Blindspotting (2021, TV-series) and theatrically in Distant (post-production); Barrera in Scream (2022); Hawkins in The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), and Grace does not have an announced next gig as an actress yet. In the Heights is certified fresh at 95 % with an 8.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of In the Heights?

Foxcatcher (2014) - Fine performances in Miller's strange true-crime sports drama

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+ Best Pennsylvania Movie of the Year + Best True-Crime Movie of the Year

Its three great, striking-looking stars in matching tracksuits against a dramatic painting of a hunting eagle sets a stark tone on this poster for Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher

Olympic gold-winning wrestler Mark Schultz is approached by a weird, eccentric multi-millionaire named John du Pont, who wants to create the national wrestling team around Schultz at his Pennsylvania mansion.

Foxcatcher is written by E. Max Frye (Amos & Andrew (1993)) and Dan Futterman (In Treatment (2010, TV-series)), based on a true story, and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker Bennett Miller (Capote (2005)).
Miller succeeds in creating a really strange atmosphere, which also remains tense, and at times feels grotesque. We are kept intrigued by this highly curious story by his direction and fine performances from the three male leads and Sienna Miller (21 Bridges (2019)). Steve Carell (Evan Almighty (2007)) has a very odd first major dramatic role in du Pont.
In the end it is somewhat unsatisfying that Foxcatcher, - which is the mysterious name given to du Pont's wrestling team, - doesn't illuminate more of du Pont and Schultz: Where they both victims of abuse as children? Does du Pont violate Schultz? Perhaps out of a lack of certain real-life proof these questions remain unanswered, leaving Foxcatcher a fascinatingly strange film but also one with a frustrating degree of benightedness to it.

Related posts:

Bennett Miller: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V] 

2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Moneyball (2011) - Miller makes compelling baseball movie history 
Capote (2005) - The writing of one of the 20th century's finest non-fiction crime novels comes to life 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 24 mil. $
Box office: 19.2 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.8 times its cost)
[Foxcatcher premiered 19 May (Cannes Film Festival, in competition) and runs 134 minutes. Miller acquired the rights to the story in 2010 and began development with Gary Oldman as the first choice to play du Pont. Shooting took place in Virginia and Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, from October 2012 - January 2013. Subsequent to the events shown in the film, du Pont spent almost 15 years in prison before dying there at age 72 in 2010. The real Mark Schultz supported the making of the film, was then incensed by it, and then retracted his critique, calling it instead "a miracle." The film opened #24 to a 270k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #13 and in 759 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 12 mil. $ (62.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.5 mil. $ (13 % ) and France with 1 mil. $ (5.2 %). The film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Actor (Carell) to Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything, Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo (Apartment 12 (2000))) to J.K. Simmons in Whiplash, Director to Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman, Original Screenplay also to Birdman and Makeup and Hairstyling to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It won the directing award at Cannes, was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 2 BAFTAs, won an AFI award and an Independent Spirit award and many other honors. Miller is still just scheduled to return with A Christmas Carrol for troubled Annapurna Pictures. Carell returned in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014); Channing Tatum (The Hateful Eight (2015)) in 22 Jump Street (2014); Ruffalo in The Normal Heart (2014, TV movie) and theatrically in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Foxcatcher is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.89/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Foxcatcher?

Synecdoche, New York (2008) - Kaufman's depressing, pretentious debut, eerily tied to Hoffman's tragic real-life end

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A bizarre, manipulated version of a Manhattan cityscape - with a Zeppelin floating through its overcrowded sky, - makes up this interest-building poster for Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York

New York theater director Caden experiences that his wife leaves him to go to Berlin with their daughter. He ventures on new relationships and a mammoth play set in a warehouse, which he works on for 40 years!

Synecdoche, New York is written and directed by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich (1999, screenwriter)) in his directorial debut.
The debacle of Synecdoche, New York starts with Philip Seymour Hoffman's (Red Dragon (2002)) insufferably anguished performance as Caden, which in an uncanny way presages the great actor's own real-life drug-fueled death in 2014: Caden is staging Death of a Salesman, which is the devastating play that Hoffman was actually acting in, when he let his demons get the best of him, resulting is his drug-fueled death in 2014. Furthermore Caden's therapist in Synecdoche, New York asks him, why he killed himself: "I don't know", he answers. Hoffman's lead character is also a hypochondriac, highly involved in his own bowel movements and seemingly incapable of experiencing joy.
Synecdoche, New York is a long row of absurdist scenes, (Samantha Morton (Sweet and Lowdown (1999)) lives in a burning house, for instance), where actors overtake each others' roles, - which is understandably confusing, - while audiences like me will find themselves either zoning out or downright falling asleep.
An impressive amount of work has been done to erect this blown-up pile of ideas, which never becomes a satisfying whole. It is a film about death and death anxiety, essentially, but Kaufman breaks his nose on Synecdoche, New York and looks pretentious.

Related posts:

Charlie Kaufman: 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Anomalisa (2015) or, Depressed Adult Male

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  
Adaptation (2002) or, Charlie Kaufman's Fictional Life (writer)
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) or, The Gong Show Killer (writer)
Being John Malkovich (1999) - Jonze, Kaufman and Malkovich's great triumph (writer)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 20 mil. $
Box office: 4.3 mil. $
= Box office disaster (returned 0.21 times its cost)
[Synecdoche, New York premiered 23 May (Cannes Film Festival, France, in competition) and runs 123 minutes. Kaufman started the project with past collaborator Spike Jonze as an untraditional horror film project, which drew on the things that scare the two artists. The title is a play on Schenectady, New York, where much of the film is set. Shooting took place in New York from May - August 2007. The film opened #30 to a 172k $ first weekend in 9 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #21 and in 119 theaters, grossing 3 mil. $ (69.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 875k $ (20.3 %) and Italy with 187k $ (4.3 %). The film won 2/3 Independent Spirit nominations among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 5 notches higher than this one. He later made it his #1 film of the 00's, and even said it was a strong contender for his all-time Top 10 list. Kaufman returned with How and Why (2014, TV movie) and theatrically with Anomalisa (2015). Hoffman returned in Doubt (2008); Morton in The Daisy Chain (2008); Michelle Williams (Suite Francaise (2014)) in Mammut (2009); Catherine Keener (The Real Blonde (1997)) in A Summer in Genoa (2008). Synecdoche, New York is fresh at 68 % with a 6.75/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Synecdoche, New York?