hey, so just to comment on my use of the term “latinx” as opposed to Latino or Latin American people, it was meant in no disrespect at all. I made a conscious decision to use that as when I had seen people talking about this subject, that is what they used and when I googled it, it said this was the most gender neutral and respectful term to use. I know some people have said in the comments that they appreciated it, but some have also said it isn’t necessary and was made up by white people. I’m so sorry if anyone is offended, that isn’t my intention at all, I really appreciate your help with teaching me! ♥️
I’m a Latino and most people who are uncomfortable with that word are nbphobic or want to protect the arbitrary rules of the Spanish language, even though it’s not our job to protect that language as it was forced on us by colonizers. Besides, languages are meant to evolve over time. There’s also misinformation about Latinx being made by white anglos which is wrong, it was first used by queer PoC. There’s also a misconception that “Latine” is better because “x can’t be pronounced” which is also wrong. Both Latinx and Latine are fine, the letter x CAN be pronounced. we see it in Spanish words like exigir, exacto, crucifixión, exagerada, telefax, tóxico, and quite literally 200+ words. Regardless, most people who use latinx are not asking everyone to identify as such, they are simply using it as a preference to address multiple people, without exercising the idea that male presences should be prioritized.
personally i prefer the gender neutral term "latine" because e is a much more natural sound in spanish and already is a gender neutral ending to other words in the language. elle can also be used as the gender neutral version of el (he) / ella (she). I also understand however that "latinx" is more widespread and is used by well-intending people so I definitely don't find it offensive.
Me, personally, I don't really care about the use of either Latinx or Latino, but I do prefer the latter, because of the grammatical structure of the language. Some Latino are like "offended" for the use of the "x" because of the "inclusive language". The truth is that most Latin American-Hispanic countries already don't follow the grammatical rules by the RAE, so there shouldn't really be a big, huge problem as there is.
I appreciate your last disclaimer about boycotting the film. While sure I can understand the colorism controversy, people need to understand that latinx representation is already so abysmally low. This is one of the few American made movies that contains a fully latinx cast-that’s a great milestone! It’s not perfect-there’s always room for improvement-but to hold POC-made media to a higher standard than white-produced media is so frustrating. We’re people boycotting La La Land for their lack of diversity? No, of course not! Sarah Z made a great video analysis about Diversity in Media, and even though she mainly spoke about LGBTQ+ representation, I think it’s still applicable to other diverse media.
This is a good point. I feel when people see a more diverse cast or a movie about a certain race they expect every single possible person to be represented which just isn't a reality. I think i read a comment that best said it to where you can't put the responsibility of years of needed representation onto one movie
@@ramenjd6239 I personally don’t hate it when it’s being used in writing or in English, our main qualm (as far as I understand it) is that it doesn’t work in Spanish and is a very US based word. So yeah that’s why we have the word latine.
@@ramenjd6239 I’m Mexican-American. I’m perfectly fine with Latin@/Latinx/Latine. I try to use Latinx because others in the community have said it’s more gender inclusive so that is what I use.
@@IncorrectHB Exactly! And it’s really disheartening seeing people only uphold these standards and criticisms for movies that are actively trying to be diverse. It’s almost like, if you try you’re going to be heavily criticized for not getting it perfect, but for movies that don’t even try at all/never mention it, the issue is almost never brought to the forefront.
As a latina, Carnaval del Barrio has always make me emotional, but in this movie was another level. I LITERALLY CRIED THE WHOLE FREAKING SONG. It was amazin.
I keep feeling some kind of way when people bring up the colorism thing. I feel bad because I know PR can be VERY colorist, that's just a fact. But my family is from the same area as Lin's and he chose actors that look like us. I feel like he chose those actors because they look like his family, not to specifically exclude anyone. The musical is a love letter to his roots and I completely get it. I do hope that there can be more representation of afro-latinos in mainstream media, but I also feel like it's not fair to make it seem like Lin isn't trying to be inclusive when he obviously works so hard to include everyone in his vision. Didn't mean to write a novel, I've just been thinking about this all week and it's flowing out now 😅
It’s interesting that not a lot of people aren’t talking about how one of Benny’s cut storylines from the OBC relates to the discussion on the colorism in the film. In the play one of the realms Nina’s dad dislikes the idea of Benny and Nina being together is because he isn’t Latino
That's more a racism plotline than colorism. I thought the reason they cut it was because that kind of racism was normal in the latino community in the early 2000s but these days it would probably make the dad too unlikeable because that kind of racism just isn't normal anymore.
@@aryan.mathur191 but on the same note, he is a character of a different generation, and I don't need for him to be likable "person" to be a good character.
Agreed, I think they softened Kevin Rosario's character a lot and so had to nix that song, which was about Benny learning Spanish and trying to integrate. The worst part is you can hear the Sunrise tune in the strings in When the Sun Goes Down...
@@DagOnFire07 i hated that they used the sunrise music as a kind of leitmotif for usnavi's dream?? i think it comes up at the photos of his dad's property and then at the end at the lotto ticket. it might work for people who've never seen the musical but when so many people watching the movie have seen the musical it doesn't fit at all, we've already made the association with nina and benny.
@@rieyadomi I saw the movie last Saturday and i’m still salty about them cutting those two along with hundreds of stories cause that’s such a cute moment between Usnavi and abuela
Amy what your said about the "dream-like" sequences throughout the film that portray each characters' sueñito are an allusion to "realismo mágico" or magic realism that comes from the most popular Latin-American authors. Gabriel García Márquez, Octavio Paz, Isabel Allende, and other authors employ this in their novels, exaggerating things, and adding unreal elements to the story. So I think, those numbers were a homage to one of the staples of Latin-American literature.
The thing that I don't understand about the colorism controversy is: why is this only coming up now? The OBC was just as light-skinned, and the movie cast was announced like two or three years ago... Why did nobody point it out before? I'm not accusing anybody, I'm just genuinely curious.
Probably reaching a wider audience + cultural zeitgeist + the political moment we're in In The Heights was on Broadway well over a decade ago back when Obama was a frontrunner for becoming the Democratic nominee and people thought we were moving into a "post racial" society But a lot has changed in the past 10+ years. And the movie came out almost exactly a year after the start of major uprisings for racial justice. It could be that people who did have criticisms before weren't being heard combined with people being more aware of these things than they were before TL;DR - It's reaching different audiences at a very different time in history
A. Film is a more accessible widespread medium than theatre so more people saw it. B. After Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda has become a phenomenon. That means his projects are seen and anticipated by more people.
Its because its more available to a wider set of people. This happened when Hamilton came to Disney+ even though its been out. I also think its because Lin Manuel-Miranda is _the_ celebrity right now
A lot of ~choices~ were definitely made 😅 but as a Puerto Rican, seeing our flag held up so many times and so many Puerto Rican references throughout the movie made me so happy 😭 from piraguas to pasteles to Dani singing about coquito 🥲
One thing i found unforgivable was that they took away THE most climactic line of the entire show!! (what do i do with this winning ticket” from paciencia y fe) Ruined what would’ve otherwise been an outstanding scene. IT MAKES NO SENSE. Why would you take away the tension created by having the audience learn something the characters don’t know yet?! I’ve seen the show like 4-5 times and every time that line happens people gasp from surprise. It’s my favorite songs and i can’t get over changing it for the worse.
I think they found the reveal of the winning ticket towards the end of the movie more impactful and also allowing the scene be about her death and her death only being more impactful. In the musical, that’s a big reveal that happens halfway through a 3 hour musical and also allows for another song later on. I can see how they wanted to condense and trim to make a movie version work time-wise and also while balancing all of the characters properly.
I like the discussions happening, just not the tone in which they are happening. How many movies have hired so many Latin Americans and tried to represent the community with a lot of heart and with the best of intentions? Should the aspect of colourism be discussed and be used as a learning experience? Definitely. But I am still against the entire cancelling culture happening on twitter. We can discuss how creators and producers can do better without trying to 'cancel' a project that takes many steps in a good direction.
This This This all day every day this! Cancel Culture is the most anti-productive, vicious movement led by people who don't want to solve anything, just fight! It's equally as problematic as any kind of racism, or homophobia. I want to see the receipts from those people who complain about colourism or anything else, where they've tried to make any positive changes themselves - but you wont find them, because they don't! I'm so tired of keyboard warriors tearing the world apart! I'm white & Irish - and to say this movie moved me to tears... For the first time I saw an incredible celebration of the Latin community and I thought it was absolutely stunning and breathtaking! for me it was an honour to witness such beauty! And it took all of 5 seconds for the nasty complainers to start a fight over something so beautiful. The director said they cast the people best suited for the roles which they have to do - anything else is tokenism, which is equally as wrong! Either contribute positively or don't say anything at all. If you want to see more representation, write a show and cast it, otherwise just stop. Rant over
Couldn’t agree more, its such a huge step and such an amazing thing to have a whole movie with a fully Latinx cast, representing their community and life, however this is just one movie which can’t have the responsibility of including all minorities! There’s always improvements to be made but this is such a welcomed start and such an amazing movie with amazing music, dancing and representation !!🥰🥰
Blackout and the lead up to Abuela Claudia’s death had me sobbing both times I saw it. It’s such a feel good musical but also makes me bawl my eyes out 😅
and what sucks about it is that, while I'm not against a new story and all that stuff, there was also no reason to cut it out, it would of fed into the feeling of everything slowing down after Abuela dies
Yes, I think Everything I Know has so many roles. It's a reflection on Claudia's life and more importantly her impact on Nina and Usnavi. Otherwise her contribution in the movie would just be helping Usnavi with the milk and cooking for everyone. The song is also partly Nina's motivation for returning to Stanford as she wanted to make Claudia proud.
Yes! You did it! Things I loved: The choreography. You mentioned the lead choreographer, but I think it's important to note that he had Latin choreographers who specialised in particular styles of dance on his team, like Eddie Torres Jr. and Princess Serrano who teach mambo in the city (or they used to when I was home). The cinematography. Not all of it was my cup of tea, but it was visually stunning. It looked so vibrant and colourful and fun in a way that the hood never does. Nina's line, "Let me just listen to my block." Since I left NYC, sometimes I listen to recordings of people just walking through the city. The music of the Heights is like a lullaby. That line gets me every time. Dani and Carla. Not much else to say here. I'm always gonna love queer rep. Valentina cameo!! (Any RuPaul's Drag Race fans?) Things I didn't: Not enough of Nina & Benny. I thought the actors were great, but diminishing their story to center Vanessa & Usnavi actually really upset me. I admit I'm biased because I just prefer their story, but I also feel like that shift in perspective really limited our view of the neighbourhood. No Camila? First of all, it means we get no Enough, and that's just wrong. But also, the Rosarios were really important. They showed a family in this group that was still together, struggling in the barrio together. Removing her gave us yet another single parent family of colour. Basically, everything they did to cut down Nina's story, hated it. The lack of people who look like me (shout out to Benny I guess). I didn't live in WH, but I spent a lot of time there, and I didn't see the blocks I know reflected on screen.
I also prefer Nina / Benny storyline and was a bit put off that they were diminished. I mean, you’re going to cut Inútil, Enough, and Sunrise ??? Make it make sense. Centering on Usnavi / Vanessa didn’t necessarily make the film better, especially when it felt like their relationship still wasn’t fully developed on screen. But that’s my opinion. But I still loved the movie and geeked over the Valentina cameo. I wasn’t expecting it, so it was a fun treat 🤗
Can we all agree the Marc Anthony scene did not need to be on the film? I totally get you want him on the film but his scene slow down the pace of the film so much I wish he had played another character.
I agree. I’m thinking the director felt the movie needed a little bit of seriousness and touch on issues like substance abuse. Marc does not appear again.
they play the little intro to sunrise (like when nina says “are you ready to try again”) LIKE 4 TIMES and it drives me crazy because it’s one of my favs.
I feel iffy abt the colorism thing but for other reasons, i literally live in latin america and i felt that the people in the screen rlly looked like us and that the culture was very well represented, i feel like people are looking for something to criticize, it would have been cool to see more diverse actors but we get so little representation already and most of it is made through a white lens 🙄
The colorism argument was ridiculous. There are basically two couples as the leads and one couple is a black actor and a Dominican actress with darker features. Also, the real Washington Heights is known for having many Caribbean Hispanics who are often tan and have some generally lighter features. The outrage was them wanting the filmmakers to cast darker actors as the “majority” of the cast, and they threw a tantrum over it. Not once during that whole controversy was it stated openly that the movie employed several Hispanics from multiple different countries, had two of the major leads as darker skinned or with darker features, featured an older actress in an award worthy role, and managed to craft a narrative that was specific to Hispanics but still capable of being relatable to anybody watching. (That last part is probably why they tried to ruin it come to think of it…)
I feel more and more like the only person that liked Vanessa in the movie because I could not stand her in the musical. I really enjoyed how they explained her motivation for wanting to leave for downtown more. She wants to be a designer and has this mindset that if she wants to be a success that can't happen while living in the heights. They showed her passion for her art as well as showing how the heights inspire that art as well. In the show she is just a sexy prop piece for Usnavi to be aiming for. In the movie, she was an actual character. She might not be a great character but she's a massive improvement from the show.
SAME!! i have never seen the show in person but i have seen the "slime tutorials" of the original cast and i never liked Venessa. But the movie really gave her backstory and character. Some personality for Usnavi to like instead of her looks. I think they did a great job with that addition.
Agree, I didn’t care much for Vanessa in the original and I liked how they developed her in the film. Unfortunately, it seems to have come at the expense of Nina, who was my favorite in the original but felt flattened in the movie :/
About some vidual choices they made, Magic Realism is a concept that originated in Colombia and used from a lot of popular writers from what you know as Latin America. Which is something that was incorporated in the visuals in the movie which i really enjoyed since i'm from México and feel like it's not appreciated enough
As someone who is a white passing Latina, I’ve never felt it was my place to talk about colorism but I find myself getting more and more comfortable talking about it. Especially since my family is way darker than me and I would fight for them to feel included. I loved this movie just from the fact that it is a Latin based story. Like I heard some complaints about why would they dance and party after someone just died and it’s like some of us just do that. Lol music and dancing make us feel better. I’ve never seen the musical but I wanted to see this because it was Latin pride, even though I don’t share the same country. And I like what you said about not boycotting the movie. I’ve always said, about any cultural movie or show, that a win for one of us is a win for all of us because more and more stories will be told. Yes hopefully next story, we get our darker brothers and sisters the spotlight because they also deserve it 💜 (sorry for this being long and ridiculously cheesy but I’m very emotional 😅)
Yes! Like today was my abuelas funeral, she said she will dance with the virgin mary and do shots with her. Afterwards we did a little get together and did shots in her honor, talked and laughed abouy memories we had of her and in between times we danced a little bit. She was a lively and fun person as well too, its just normal for us to do it i guess lol
For sure! My aunt passed away recently and instead of having a traditional funeral/memorial, we had a 'celebration of life' party and we danced b/c she loved to dance 😊
so abuela claudia reminds me so much of my grandma, i lost her in the beggining of this year, and i knew i woul cry my heart out in this movie. i did, it was amazing. however, i think if you only watch the movie, her character doesn't has the same weight as the show, you know? idk
I just didn’t like how they made Benny and Nina’s relationship so annoyingly perfect. I guess they didn’t want to get racial when it came to the forbidden love thing, but I didn’t see the point in giving the argument Nina and Benny have to Usnavi and Vanessa.
They should of gotten racial. Because Benny and Nina's father, that situation, that happens. It should of been kept in, especially now, with the controversy. Nina and Benny's story is a very important one. But instead, they made them glorified extras. And then had Usnavi and Vanessa essentially take over everything. Even the fight. Its just a mistake.
Mione134 I was also confused on why they decided to make Vanessa get upset over dancing. The movie was fun but a few things felt awkward. Also I was disappointed that they cut Nina’s mom. Did they need another dead parent or something?
I absolutely loved what they did with piragua and Kin did spectacular but I feel in the end it didn’t add that much to the story and I would have rather seen sunrise. But they did nail the scene💛🙌
Saw in the heights on Monday and as a film itself I personally thought it was the most magical thing I’ve ever watched. As someone who hasn’t seen it live and based my whole perception from just the soundtrack it was everything I could of asked for. I cried from the moment the opening song began, I can’t explain how joyous I found the whole experience. Of course there are the social issues to be discussed and I think everyone going to see the film should research and be aware of them however the films itself, amazing. I wish I could go back and watch it for the first time all over again.
I went to school with Anthony and he is an AMAZING dancer. Legit he is equally good at everything, a true triple threat and he's also the sweetest person.
SPOILER!! - - - I gasped for joy when I saw Patrick Page 😍 some of the film (though I loved it!) Didn't quite work for me structure wise and I need to talk to someone about it!
I doubt Lin purposely excluded anyone. People will always find a reason to pick something apart and I have talked to people from the Dominican Republic and from Washington heights, they said they really enjoyed it. I would not have wanted tokenism to make people feel as though they aren't left out. I honestly think if Lin checked all the boxes people would still find a reason to complain. There are stories to tell within specific mixed race people, I would rather have people telling those stories. But that's just me.
@@sistasistaourchannel9829 my friend from New York also confirmed that Washington heights has been gentrified and is mostly white people these days I think lin was just telling his story about growing up and Latin people having more representation is a good thing having to worry about including everyone is going to feel like pandering and that is going to make entertainment suffer because there are stories to be told about every culture and people can do it the right way but people are going to find reasons to complain I think
Poor Lin just can't seem to please... In "Hamilton" folks complained about the POC cast not actually representing the character's they were playing because they weren't white enough. In "In The Heights" it's basically the same complaint but folks now complaining it wasn't black enough. Did it really take anything away from "Hamilton" because the cast didn't perfectly represent the color of the people they were portraying? No? Then it seems hypocritical to throw the same shade at "In The Heights". Lord forbid Lin decides to make a musical about Martians...folks will complain they aren't green enough. smh
i think what you meant with the musical numbers kind of happening in another world is called "magical realism" at least in literature. there was definitely some magic going on (like benny and nina breaking the laws of physics) but it's not adressed, it's just a part of the world that was created and i LOVED THAT so much (not sure this is what you meant lol but this is how i understood it)
I was very sad to see Camila gone too. ‘Enough’ was one of my favourite songs as to me (a latinx person) it really represented latina mums and what they go through and their power well. I was kind of disappointed in the casting of the girls? I really do think they should have done better and cast at least one dark skinned Afro latinx person, if not more. Also they were both the exact same body type and it kind of grated on me that they had a variety of body types in the background but the two leading women reflected your typical movie beauty standard. But despite all of that it moved me from start to finish. I never thought I would feel represented like that on the big screen and I essentially cried the whole way through imagining the latinx kids who are going to see this honest portrayal of their community rather than the drugs/violence/sex we usually have to make do with.
Yes exactly! To your second point, I was also extremely disappointed in who they casted for the lead girls. It’s like they were the same person, no offense. They had so much diversity in the background but chose two girls with the same build and skin color as leads. However, they both did great.
amy i'd love the video on the differences between the musical and the movie!!!!!! as a huge fan of the musical, some of the changes in the movie really stood out to me DKFJDKLSFJL and i'd love a vid detailing that!
OMG. THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED. Great video, Amy. I absolutely adored the movie. To me, it's so good i'm jealous of it. idk how that's possible. Just every beat and funk grabs you in for the whole runtime. It's just a fun experience from beginning to end. Cya soon!!!
My opinions ☺️: * It feels like Benny & Nina's characters and relationship was almost pointless in the movie, and the characters felt one dimensional. It made it hard to enjoy their scenes. * I'm sad that they didn't explain that the reason Nina dropped out of college was because she had to take on 2 jobs & couldn't keep up with the work. Instead, they just made it sound like she left because she felt like she didn't fit in. They made her storyline more confusing. * I kind of like that they left it till the end to reveal that Claudia had the winning lottery ticket. It was more of a surprise that you didn't see coming. * The movie felt long, so I'm glad that they decided to cut songs. Unfortunately, though, they didn't make up for it in the character development. * The movie was visually amazing (the best thing about it!) and, for me, the show works much better on the screen than on stage.
I was surprised about the songs cut from the original too, but then I remembered in theatre you get a 10-15min interval. Unless it's Avengers Endgame, most people (including me, honestly) would struggle to watch a long show without a break, so in order to cut that back you have to cut 3-4 songs. As annoying as it is that some of the cut songs are musically better than the ones kept in the film, I do think the ones kept in make more sense tonally and narratively from the perspective of someone who hasn't seen the original and doesn't know that story already. I think it's important to see the film as a stand alone piece of art without comparing it to the theatre production too much, because they are two separate works of art despite one growing from the other. I see it as comparing an apple to the tree you just picked it from- sure it grew from the same stuff but right now it exists for a new purpose.
Thank you for your very candid review of this movie. I've been on the fence about whether to see it or not, but after watching your review, I think I will!
I dont know how to feel about the whole controversy about representation of afro-dominican people. It really feels like if you have any sign of an agenda in your art the people on that same ideology are gonna rip it to bits. Like if I say im vegan publicly then everyone will pay attention to my every move to catch me eating meat or whatever, while at the same time there are people just showing a full steak online and get no criticism. Thats just an analogy, but it applies to everything. Im starting to feel like more conservative, mostly white shows, are safer because no one is expecting representation, but to even try to push forward, means youll get hate for it not being enough. I also think the movie is a little flawed in many aspects (like how they try to make it in current time, when it was about the blackout of 2003), but no one can mention that because there is a bad faith discussion happening at the fore front.
I think the problem with setting it in 2003 is that it gives people a cop out. They can say that we live in a post-racial society. "Why should we discuss issues of gentrification? It's obviously not a problem now because this movie takes place almost twenty years ago!" That would be the perfect excuse to not talk about those issues. When we see movies about issues, like racism, in movies they're almost always set in the past. The Help, Green book, Loving, ect. When the film about the serious issue is set in modern times there's always a backlash about how it's playing to PC culture and how it's too political. Hidden Figures is an inspiring story and The Hate U Give is a PC movie trying to stir up trouble. That's the difference. When we set it in modern times the discussion isn't about the inspiring story but about the issue itself. It forces people to confront their own prejudices because they can no longer hide behind the veneer of a story set in the past. Because as written, In The Heights is now a period piece, it's been that long. I don't think anything could be lost by updating the script. It had everything to gain. But that's just my two cents as a privileged white guy.
@@josephcarlisle1943 Thats a very good point that i hadn't considered and it is more evident with how they added protests and Sonnys immigration status etc. I guess it just seems a little silly to me to think that a blackout of that magnitude could happen today with a precedent like 2003 since the electrical system of Washington heights was completely updated. Its a little nit-picky now thinking about it.
I LOVE Everything I Know and while I was originally devastated to hear it was cut *spoiler* I found it way better for Nina's character arc that her reason for going back to school wasn't an inherited dream (meaning, because of all that Claudia did for her as is expressed in Everything I Know) but because she wanted to help out her community and those less fortunate than her (personified in Sonny, since in the movie he's undocumented). So instead of doing just doing what others wanted from her, she found her purpose in helping her community with the opportunity she was granted and her family had worked for. And about Camila being dead, IF it was done to give more space to a queer character (Daniela), I'm ok with that.
I'm SO excited this film is finally out!!! I've loved the soundtrack for so long and have never seen the stage show 😢! I'm really hoping that the film coming out will mean that the show gets revived so I can finally see it 🤞
Totally agree about Vanessa and Nina! I was confused when they went to the club and everyone was saying hi to Vanessa - they made her quite un-likeable, so why did she have so many friends??
This implies that Vanessa is a regular at the club and goes there often. Plus, she's supposed to be the popular girl that everyone likes and since W.Heights seems to be a tight-knit community, almost everyone knows her. Also, there's nothing wrong with having many friends... what?
The US has changed a lot in the past year and the conversations about BIPOC representation and roles has changed a lot. We're having conversations and awareness that wasn't part of the discussion two or more years ago when this film was cast. I am hoping for more in the future, but the project as a non-white beachhead cannot be dismissed either. I agree with you that people need to support the film, so that there will be more like this one (and even better represented) in the future.
Got so excited to hear your take on this that I was about to watch even though I've yet to see it. However, I think ill hold back and bookmark this video for after my next cinema trip!
SO HERE FOR THIS!! Thank you for covering it ❤️❤️ missed seeing your face in my subscription videos. And tbh, I like musicals I watched glee but I was no theatre nerd at all. More of an athlete so that should say a lot about your video quality like I’m genuinely a fan even tho I’m not a die hard knowledge in this department.
I would love a video on the differences! I noticed somethings (most of which I didn’t like how they changed it), but to hear specific details of how they changed it would be great!
I’m curious to see what happens around the colorist conversation when West Side Story comes out in December. In the trailer Maria (in the white dress) looks rather light, and honestly rather passing.
its such a difficult situation to navigate because that actress has just been cast as Snow White in the live action Disney remake and has been absolutely HARASSED on the internet for being Latina instead of porcelain white. so it's good that through Maria she gets to celebrate that side of her and appreciate it as something beautiful, however it is an issue that comes up all the time that people seem to want the lightest versions of these ethnicities possible without just casting white people. So it's a complicated thing ya know
I get how the new mural fits in terms of the framing device used in the movie, but I feel like the mural of Abuela Claudia is way more powerful and is a bigger visual statement that Usnavi has the ability to become the new Claudia and hold onto and share the stories of those living in the neighborhood.
I fully agree with you on your comments about Sunrise for Benny and Nina and also Nina's mum. I would have LOVED it if Enough was in the movie too. Such a good song of Nina and her parents and Nina's mum pulling the matriarch card!
I have never seen the stage production so I knew near to nothing going into this movie and I find it amazing. Sometimes it can be a plus to go in blank haha. Def going to see the movie again and listen to the album on replay. Also did love the representation!
I really didn’t like Vanessa for the first half of the film, she seemed really disinterested with Usnavi. I wanted more Nina and Benny and I don’t really like the new storyline with them. I think the tension between Nina’s Dad and Benny wasn’t really in the film which is one of my favourite parts in the show. I agree that the little doodles in 96,000 where cringe and I didn’t like the creepy child in Breathe or when they all decided to stare at Nina when she was singing, it was just a bit creepy. Also the mannequin heads in No me diga were horrifying. All that aside, the film was so bright and fun and the performers were all amazing. 96,000 was great in the pool and Pacience Fe made me SOB.
In fact, I went to see yesterday and I couldn’t wait to see your video. So, here’s my opinion: 1. I was singing in my mind In the heights and the part that the mum said “One ticket that’s it” wasn’t there, that got me mad. 2. I didn’t have a good impression on Anthony Ramos in the role of Usnavi at the Beggining. After seeing that, I change my mind TOTALLY. I enjoyed a lot his acting, singing and dancing. 3. The order of the songs: I thought it would have respected the order of the songs of the musical. 4. Breathe: The original version is written in Bb Major. The film is a lower mid-tone, A Major. Why’s that change? 5. LMM: I love him, he is a genius but as an actor and singer, I don’t like him. 6. Nina and Benny scene on the roofs: I saw a comment earlier about it and I have to agree that it reminded me to Zac Efron’s scene in HSM 3. I love it and I want to give support to all the Latinos, Asians and African actors and actresses. We have to change this world.
I haven't seen the full thing yet, but I'm hopefully going to this week and I'm so excited! Dani and Carla are my fave characters as well, so I'm so excited to see their dynamic. I also agree with a lot of the cuts-I loved Nina's mom prob because she's played by Priscilla Lopez who is one of my biggest heroes, and it is a shame that she's not in the movie
I do wish there were more coloured Latinos, but personally I think the representation is absolutely great! Although I have to say I hated the usage of latinx in this video more. It makes us sound like a Kleenex brand lmao. For next time Latin American would be better if you’re worried Latino might be too selective. Although Latino is for women men and anyone else seeing as it’s a romantic language and that’s just how they work. Same with French. Plus the word was created by Americans not the Latino community. Anyway sorry! I just really dislike the word, so some tips for next time, Latin American would be best!
@@AmyLovatt1 I was worried I was too harsh! It’s not a problem, I love your videos 💙 thank you for understanding, me and I’m sure others definitely appreciate it!
@@AmyLovatt1 i’m puerto rican and i have a lot of nonbinary friends, so we use latinx a lot! I personally appreciated the use here, but yeah… a lot of us like it, a lot don’t. it’s honestly a personal preference so don’t worry about it.
So latinos can't be American? The term was created to reflect oppression. And yet here we are talking more about at word than actually tackling the issues.
13:14 the theater was just me and my friend, and I was so happy and grateful that she let me sing a little and dance to the music throughout the movie!
I am from Cuba. As an actress and a singer I can tell you how difficult is for mixed race people to be cast in movies and musical theater. Miranda represented the Latin race in all of its expressions, there is more mixed race Latin people than afro latin people. So, if you guys are going to stand up for color skin people you shouldn't forget there are millions of people around the world that are not black or white. (excuse my English)
i would love a breakdown of all the differences! the changes in the order of abuela claudia's story break my heart, especially being before carnaval (break my heart in a bad way not like it makes it more emotional, its worse that way)
A few weeks ago I watched In the heights and West Side Story and there is a bittersweet taste to me because even though I loved both movies I hate that latin people are always portrayed only as brunettes erasing the white and black people. At least here in South America is full of white people as much as brunettes but the latin stereotype is that we all look like Sofia Vergara or Rita Moreno, but we do not. Anyway, I love the representation in musicals and movies and how they are opening doors for us to get jobs on the music theatre industry ❤️
Jon M Chu knows how to do a dance film. My fave step up movies are 2&3 & he directed them amazingly so not surprised he got the choreographer from the films.
Hi Amy! Yes, please do a differences video between the stage production and the movie 🥰I've never seen the stage production so am interested to know how they adapted it for the screen x
Amy, just watched your DEH movie review and I think you should consider theatre criticism or dramaturgy if that's something that would interest you. I think you'd be really good at it! I love hearing your voice and thinking about the interesting points you bring up
I hate that they cut so many Benny and Nina moments. The line in Carnival del Barrio where Daniela is ribbing Benny for sleeping with Nina doesn't make as much sense because you don't actually see it (I mean the aftermath) After the Blackout they don't run off together as they did in the show, so you're thinking "when?!" I really did connect with Vanessa in this film. She's always been one of my favourite characters, I love It Won't Be Long Now and I did think Melissa Berrera was great. I found the scene with Usnavi when they're sitting on her stoop really touching. And the very ending! Corny as hell but I loved it. Anthony Ramos is an absolute dream. He's so cute and awkward and adorable! Also, I still want Jimmy Smits to be president.
I would give the movie a 4/5 too! I really really liked it! Never seen the stage show so I went in with 0 expectations and was pleasantly surprised😃 I didn’t have anything to compare it to and I think that was good. I loved the characters the dancing and I fell in love with the soundtrack! The only thing holding it back from a 5/5 for me is that I was missing seeing more of Benny and Ninas relationship evolve
I love how Daniela and Carla aren’t only known for being together. One thing I don’t like in media is when a characters only trait is being LGBTQIA+. It makes our whole community seem one dimensional and I’m so happy that they didn’t take away either of their personalities!
hey, so just to comment on my use of the term “latinx” as opposed to Latino or Latin American people, it was meant in no disrespect at all. I made a conscious decision to use that as when I had seen people talking about this subject, that is what they used and when I googled it, it said this was the most gender neutral and respectful term to use. I know some people have said in the comments that they appreciated it, but some have also said it isn’t necessary and was made up by white people. I’m so sorry if anyone is offended, that isn’t my intention at all, I really appreciate your help with teaching me! ♥️
I’m a Latino and most people who are uncomfortable with that word are nbphobic or want to protect the arbitrary rules of the Spanish language, even though it’s not our job to protect that language as it was forced on us by colonizers. Besides, languages are meant to evolve over time.
There’s also misinformation about Latinx being made by white anglos which is wrong, it was first used by queer PoC.
There’s also a misconception that “Latine” is better because “x can’t be pronounced” which is also wrong. Both Latinx and Latine are fine, the letter x CAN be pronounced. we see it in Spanish words like exigir, exacto, crucifixión, exagerada, telefax, tóxico, and quite literally 200+ words.
Regardless, most people who use latinx are not asking everyone to identify as such, they are simply using it as a preference to address multiple people, without exercising the idea that male presences should be prioritized.
thank you so much for this roger!!
personally i prefer the gender neutral term "latine" because e is a much more natural sound in spanish and already is a gender neutral ending to other words in the language. elle can also be used as the gender neutral version of el (he) / ella (she). I also understand however that "latinx" is more widespread and is used by well-intending people so I definitely don't find it offensive.
Me, personally, I don't really care about the use of either Latinx or Latino, but I do prefer the latter, because of the grammatical structure of the language. Some Latino are like "offended" for the use of the "x" because of the "inclusive language". The truth is that most Latin American-Hispanic countries already don't follow the grammatical rules by the RAE, so there shouldn't really be a big, huge problem as there is.
@@autumngafforio same for portuguese, using the x just doesnt sound natural at all
I appreciate your last disclaimer about boycotting the film. While sure I can understand the colorism controversy, people need to understand that latinx representation is already so abysmally low. This is one of the few American made movies that contains a fully latinx cast-that’s a great milestone! It’s not perfect-there’s always room for improvement-but to hold POC-made media to a higher standard than white-produced media is so frustrating. We’re people boycotting La La Land for their lack of diversity? No, of course not! Sarah Z made a great video analysis about Diversity in Media, and even though she mainly spoke about LGBTQ+ representation, I think it’s still applicable to other diverse media.
This is a good point. I feel when people see a more diverse cast or a movie about a certain race they expect every single possible person to be represented which just isn't a reality. I think i read a comment that best said it to where you can't put the responsibility of years of needed representation onto one movie
A random note: I heard a lot of Latine people hate using or hearing others using the word lantinx.
@@ramenjd6239 I personally don’t hate it when it’s being used in writing or in English, our main qualm (as far as I understand it) is that it doesn’t work in Spanish and is a very US based word. So yeah that’s why we have the word latine.
@@ramenjd6239 I’m Mexican-American. I’m perfectly fine with Latin@/Latinx/Latine. I try to use Latinx because others in the community have said it’s more gender inclusive so that is what I use.
@@IncorrectHB Exactly! And it’s really disheartening seeing people only uphold these standards and criticisms for movies that are actively trying to be diverse. It’s almost like, if you try you’re going to be heavily criticized for not getting it perfect, but for movies that don’t even try at all/never mention it, the issue is almost never brought to the forefront.
Sunrise is personally I think one of the bets romantic duets in musical theatre. It also so relatable so much us bilingual kids
Lovely to see you here, Sol 💖
As a latina, Carnaval del Barrio has always make me emotional, but in this movie was another level. I LITERALLY CRIED THE WHOLE FREAKING SONG. It was amazin.
I'm from brazil and also LOVE this song, and I don't even like carnaval hahahah
I cried through the whole musical.
Fun fact, even after the scene was over people kept singing and dancing and celebrating
totally me, this song makes me feel proud of being brazillian
I keep feeling some kind of way when people bring up the colorism thing. I feel bad because I know PR can be VERY colorist, that's just a fact. But my family is from the same area as Lin's and he chose actors that look like us. I feel like he chose those actors because they look like his family, not to specifically exclude anyone. The musical is a love letter to his roots and I completely get it. I do hope that there can be more representation of afro-latinos in mainstream media, but I also feel like it's not fair to make it seem like Lin isn't trying to be inclusive when he obviously works so hard to include everyone in his vision. Didn't mean to write a novel, I've just been thinking about this all week and it's flowing out now 😅
THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!
Yes!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽
Exactly
THIIIIIIIISSSSS X 10000000
Exactly!!! It seems like no one else gets that!
It’s interesting that not a lot of people aren’t talking about how one of Benny’s cut storylines from the OBC relates to the discussion on the colorism in the film. In the play one of the realms Nina’s dad dislikes the idea of Benny and Nina being together is because he isn’t Latino
That's more a racism plotline than colorism. I thought the reason they cut it was because that kind of racism was normal in the latino community in the early 2000s but these days it would probably make the dad too unlikeable because that kind of racism just isn't normal anymore.
@@aryan.mathur191 but on the same note, he is a character of a different generation, and I don't need for him to be likable "person" to be a good character.
@@aryan.mathur191 i dont think Nina's dad not liking benny is racism though?? he just didnt like him bc he was a gringo (not latino)
Agreed, I think they softened Kevin Rosario's character a lot and so had to nix that song, which was about Benny learning Spanish and trying to integrate. The worst part is you can hear the Sunrise tune in the strings in When the Sun Goes Down...
@@DagOnFire07 i hated that they used the sunrise music as a kind of leitmotif for usnavi's dream?? i think it comes up at the photos of his dad's property and then at the end at the lotto ticket. it might work for people who've never seen the musical but when so many people watching the movie have seen the musical it doesn't fit at all, we've already made the association with nina and benny.
Them cutting everything I know is my villian origin story, they also cut sunrise and I love those songs 😭
No but When the Sun Goes down makes so much sense with Sunrise, like the comparison of the sun with their relationship is confusing without it 😭
FACTS 😭😭😭
@@rieyadomi I saw the movie last Saturday and i’m still salty about them cutting those two along with hundreds of stories cause that’s such a cute moment between Usnavi and abuela
SAME
I'm still sad about the cut of Atencion and Everything I know. So raw and heartbreaking
Amy what your said about the "dream-like" sequences throughout the film that portray each characters' sueñito are an allusion to "realismo mágico" or magic realism that comes from the most popular Latin-American authors. Gabriel García Márquez, Octavio Paz, Isabel Allende, and other authors employ this in their novels, exaggerating things, and adding unreal elements to the story. So I think, those numbers were a homage to one of the staples of Latin-American literature.
yessssss thank you! I came to write something similar to this!! :D
The thing that I don't understand about the colorism controversy is: why is this only coming up now?
The OBC was just as light-skinned, and the movie cast was announced like two or three years ago... Why did nobody point it out before?
I'm not accusing anybody, I'm just genuinely curious.
Probably because the movie release just naturally gets more attention
Probably reaching a wider audience + cultural zeitgeist + the political moment we're in
In The Heights was on Broadway well over a decade ago back when Obama was a frontrunner for becoming the Democratic nominee and people thought we were moving into a "post racial" society
But a lot has changed in the past 10+ years. And the movie came out almost exactly a year after the start of major uprisings for racial justice.
It could be that people who did have criticisms before weren't being heard combined with people being more aware of these things than they were before
TL;DR - It's reaching different audiences at a very different time in history
I think what made it bigger was the way the cast talked about the colorism... It wasn't pretty..
A. Film is a more accessible widespread medium than theatre so more people saw it.
B. After Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda has become a phenomenon. That means his projects are seen and anticipated by more people.
Its because its more available to a wider set of people. This happened when Hamilton came to Disney+ even though its been out.
I also think its because Lin Manuel-Miranda is _the_ celebrity right now
96,000 gave me ‘Fabulous’- HSM2 vibes with the overhead shots and the water aerobics lol
True
Yes I was like Vanessa is tryna be Sharpay lol
A lot of ~choices~ were definitely made 😅 but as a Puerto Rican, seeing our flag held up so many times and so many Puerto Rican references throughout the movie made me so happy 😭 from piraguas to pasteles to Dani singing about coquito 🥲
This. I wish I had a group of latine friends to go see this with so that we could all wave out flags together for the Carnaval Del Barrio section.
I love that scene. Sad that another country where Spanish is the mother tongue (Spain) wasn’t hold up.
We are always out.
@@martabotiasalinero no.. I think you already knew that the story was about the struggles of Latin American being an immigrant in US..
@@gpaderx6105 Trueee. Sorry for my comment
@@martabotiasalinero it's okayy :)
One thing i found unforgivable was that they took away THE most climactic line of the entire show!! (what do i do with this winning ticket” from paciencia y fe) Ruined what would’ve otherwise been an outstanding scene. IT MAKES NO SENSE. Why would you take away the tension created by having the audience learn something the characters don’t know yet?! I’ve seen the show like 4-5 times and every time that line happens people gasp from surprise. It’s my favorite songs and i can’t get over changing it for the worse.
Oof yep, HARD agree!!
I think the line didn't make sense anymore after they moved the song. If anything, they shouldn't have kept the original order.
I think they found the reveal of the winning ticket towards the end of the movie more impactful and also allowing the scene be about her death and her death only being more impactful. In the musical, that’s a big reveal that happens halfway through a 3 hour musical and also allows for another song later on. I can see how they wanted to condense and trim to make a movie version work time-wise and also while balancing all of the characters properly.
I like the discussions happening, just not the tone in which they are happening. How many movies have hired so many Latin Americans and tried to represent the community with a lot of heart and with the best of intentions? Should the aspect of colourism be discussed and be used as a learning experience? Definitely. But I am still against the entire cancelling culture happening on twitter. We can discuss how creators and producers can do better without trying to 'cancel' a project that takes many steps in a good direction.
This This This all day every day this! Cancel Culture is the most anti-productive, vicious movement led by people who don't want to solve anything, just fight! It's equally as problematic as any kind of racism, or homophobia. I want to see the receipts from those people who complain about colourism or anything else, where they've tried to make any positive changes themselves - but you wont find them, because they don't! I'm so tired of keyboard warriors tearing the world apart! I'm white & Irish - and to say this movie moved me to tears... For the first time I saw an incredible celebration of the Latin community and I thought it was absolutely stunning and breathtaking! for me it was an honour to witness such beauty! And it took all of 5 seconds for the nasty complainers to start a fight over something so beautiful. The director said they cast the people best suited for the roles which they have to do - anything else is tokenism, which is equally as wrong! Either contribute positively or don't say anything at all. If you want to see more representation, write a show and cast it, otherwise just stop. Rant over
Couldn’t agree more, its such a huge step and such an amazing thing to have a whole movie with a fully Latinx cast, representing their community and life, however this is just one movie which can’t have the responsibility of including all minorities! There’s always improvements to be made but this is such a welcomed start and such an amazing movie with amazing music, dancing and representation !!🥰🥰
Blackout and the lead up to Abuela Claudia’s death had me sobbing both times I saw it. It’s such a feel good musical but also makes me bawl my eyes out 😅
Nina and Benny’s choreo during When The Sun Goes Down reminded me of Zac Efron in HSM 3
I thought the same thing!!!
I also wished they had kept in "Everything I Know" - such a gorgeous and emotional song!
WAIT THEY CUT EVERYTHING I KNOW 😭
No first I hear about sunrise being gone and now I learn This :(
YES 😭😭
and what sucks about it is that, while I'm not against a new story and all that stuff, there was also no reason to cut it out, it would of fed into the feeling of everything slowing down after Abuela dies
Yes, I think Everything I Know has so many roles. It's a reflection on Claudia's life and more importantly her impact on Nina and Usnavi. Otherwise her contribution in the movie would just be helping Usnavi with the milk and cooking for everyone. The song is also partly Nina's motivation for returning to Stanford as she wanted to make Claudia proud.
POV: you have a physics exam tomorrow but you’ve been dying to hear Amy’s opinion on this movie
i have two maths and two science exams tmrw but i’m here ✨
ahhh best of luck for your exams 🥰🥰🥰
I’ve got chemistry 😬
POV: you’re pretty sure you failed your maths exam this morning so you are watching your fav you tubers for comfort
@@caitlinhollypiper yep i’m pretty sure i failed all 4 of mine 😭
Yes! You did it!
Things I loved:
The choreography. You mentioned the lead choreographer, but I think it's important to note that he had Latin choreographers who specialised in particular styles of dance on his team, like Eddie Torres Jr. and Princess Serrano who teach mambo in the city (or they used to when I was home).
The cinematography. Not all of it was my cup of tea, but it was visually stunning. It looked so vibrant and colourful and fun in a way that the hood never does.
Nina's line, "Let me just listen to my block." Since I left NYC, sometimes I listen to recordings of people just walking through the city. The music of the Heights is like a lullaby. That line gets me every time.
Dani and Carla. Not much else to say here. I'm always gonna love queer rep.
Valentina cameo!! (Any RuPaul's Drag Race fans?)
Things I didn't:
Not enough of Nina & Benny. I thought the actors were great, but diminishing their story to center Vanessa & Usnavi actually really upset me. I admit I'm biased because I just prefer their story, but I also feel like that shift in perspective really limited our view of the neighbourhood.
No Camila? First of all, it means we get no Enough, and that's just wrong. But also, the Rosarios were really important. They showed a family in this group that was still together, struggling in the barrio together. Removing her gave us yet another single parent family of colour.
Basically, everything they did to cut down Nina's story, hated it.
The lack of people who look like me (shout out to Benny I guess). I didn't live in WH, but I spent a lot of time there, and I didn't see the blocks I know reflected on screen.
I also prefer Nina / Benny storyline and was a bit put off that they were diminished. I mean, you’re going to cut Inútil, Enough, and Sunrise ??? Make it make sense. Centering on Usnavi / Vanessa didn’t necessarily make the film better, especially when it felt like their relationship still wasn’t fully developed on screen. But that’s my opinion.
But I still loved the movie and geeked over the Valentina cameo. I wasn’t expecting it, so it was a fun treat 🤗
Can we all agree the Marc Anthony scene did not need to be on the film? I totally get you want him on the film but his scene slow down the pace of the film so much I wish he had played another character.
yeahh, I felt that too.. i'm expecting him to be a fun character, well it's not. lol
I used that scene as a bathroom break - not gonna lie
@@kathryno3051 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA lol. yeahh
I agree. I’m thinking the director felt the movie needed a little bit of seriousness and touch on issues like substance abuse. Marc does not appear again.
it was sad really
they play the little intro to sunrise (like when nina says “are you ready to try again”) LIKE 4 TIMES and it drives me crazy because it’s one of my favs.
was in the middle of the new loki episode but this is more important
I feel iffy abt the colorism thing but for other reasons, i literally live in latin america and i felt that the people in the screen rlly looked like us and that the culture was very well represented, i feel like people are looking for something to criticize, it would have been cool to see more diverse actors but we get so little representation already and most of it is made through a white lens 🙄
I feel the same way. We were given this one thing for us, yet people still want more and criticize it making it sound like it’s bad.
Exactly! It might drive more people to give up on Latin American media with this excessive cancelling
Yes!! I COMPLETELY agree!
The colorism argument was ridiculous. There are basically two couples as the leads and one couple is a black actor and a Dominican actress with darker features. Also, the real Washington Heights is known for having many Caribbean Hispanics who are often tan and have some generally lighter features. The outrage was them wanting the filmmakers to cast darker actors as the “majority” of the cast, and they threw a tantrum over it. Not once during that whole controversy was it stated openly that the movie employed several Hispanics from multiple different countries, had two of the major leads as darker skinned or with darker features, featured an older actress in an award worthy role, and managed to craft a narrative that was specific to Hispanics but still capable of being relatable to anybody watching. (That last part is probably why they tried to ruin it come to think of it…)
“Im a terrible person aren’t I? Oh whatever”
That’s such a mood
I feel more and more like the only person that liked Vanessa in the movie because I could not stand her in the musical. I really enjoyed how they explained her motivation for wanting to leave for downtown more. She wants to be a designer and has this mindset that if she wants to be a success that can't happen while living in the heights. They showed her passion for her art as well as showing how the heights inspire that art as well. In the show she is just a sexy prop piece for Usnavi to be aiming for. In the movie, she was an actual character. She might not be a great character but she's a massive improvement from the show.
SAAAAMEEE
SAME!! i have never seen the show in person but i have seen the "slime tutorials" of the original cast and i never liked Venessa. But the movie really gave her backstory and character. Some personality for Usnavi to like instead of her looks. I think they did a great job with that addition.
Agree, I didn’t care much for Vanessa in the original and I liked how they developed her in the film. Unfortunately, it seems to have come at the expense of Nina, who was my favorite in the original but felt flattened in the movie :/
About some vidual choices they made, Magic Realism is a concept that originated in Colombia and used from a lot of popular writers from what you know as Latin America. Which is something that was incorporated in the visuals in the movie which i really enjoyed since i'm from México and feel like it's not appreciated enough
As someone who is a white passing Latina, I’ve never felt it was my place to talk about colorism but I find myself getting more and more comfortable talking about it. Especially since my family is way darker than me and I would fight for them to feel included. I loved this movie just from the fact that it is a Latin based story. Like I heard some complaints about why would they dance and party after someone just died and it’s like some of us just do that. Lol music and dancing make us feel better. I’ve never seen the musical but I wanted to see this because it was Latin pride, even though I don’t share the same country. And I like what you said about not boycotting the movie. I’ve always said, about any cultural movie or show, that a win for one of us is a win for all of us because more and more stories will be told. Yes hopefully next story, we get our darker brothers and sisters the spotlight because they also deserve it 💜 (sorry for this being long and ridiculously cheesy but I’m very emotional 😅)
THIS! I was about to comment the exact same thing
Yes! Like today was my abuelas funeral, she said she will dance with the virgin mary and do shots with her.
Afterwards we did a little get together and did shots in her honor, talked and laughed abouy memories we had of her and in between times we danced a little bit.
She was a lively and fun person as well too, its just normal for us to do it i guess lol
For sure! My aunt passed away recently and instead of having a traditional funeral/memorial, we had a 'celebration of life' party and we danced b/c she loved to dance 😊
Girl I love you but I'm sorry calling Abuela Claudia irritating is just a bridge too far
@Depressed Gay Wizard how does anyone hate abuela.....what did she do...
I wholeheartedly agree, I didn't see anything wrong with her, she acts exactly like my cuban abuela lmao
She called her IRRITATING???ain’t no way
so abuela claudia reminds me so much of my grandma, i lost her in the beggining of this year, and i knew i woul cry my heart out in this movie. i did, it was amazing. however, i think if you only watch the movie, her character doesn't has the same weight as the show, you know? idk
I just didn’t like how they made Benny and Nina’s relationship so annoyingly perfect. I guess they didn’t want to get racial when it came to the forbidden love thing, but I didn’t see the point in giving the argument Nina and Benny have to Usnavi and Vanessa.
They should of gotten racial. Because Benny and Nina's father, that situation, that happens. It should of been kept in, especially now, with the controversy. Nina and Benny's story is a very important one. But instead, they made them glorified extras. And then had Usnavi and Vanessa essentially take over everything. Even the fight. Its just a mistake.
Thank you! That was probably my biggest pet peeve with this film!
Mione134 I was also confused on why they decided to make Vanessa get upset over dancing. The movie was fun but a few things felt awkward. Also I was disappointed that they cut Nina’s mom. Did they need another dead parent or something?
I absolutely loved what they did with piragua and Kin did spectacular but I feel in the end it didn’t add that much to the story and I would have rather seen sunrise. But they did nail the scene💛🙌
The only good thing about them cutting Everything I Know is that it won't be overdone come audition season and I can still use it.
I loved the movie.❤️ Anthony Ramos was amazing, he killed it as Usnavi. And the songs and the set was incredible.
Saw in the heights on Monday and as a film itself I personally thought it was the most magical thing I’ve ever watched. As someone who hasn’t seen it live and based my whole perception from just the soundtrack it was everything I could of asked for. I cried from the moment the opening song began, I can’t explain how joyous I found the whole experience. Of course there are the social issues to be discussed and I think everyone going to see the film should research and be aware of them however the films itself, amazing. I wish I could go back and watch it for the first time all over again.
In regards to the colourism, they also added Dascha Polanco (an afro-latina actress) as Cuca.
I went to school with Anthony and he is an AMAZING dancer. Legit he is equally good at everything, a true triple threat and he's also the sweetest person.
SPOILER!!
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I gasped for joy when I saw Patrick Page 😍 some of the film (though I loved it!) Didn't quite work for me structure wise and I need to talk to someone about it!
it's funny, isn't it? like mr rosario really went and sold his business to hades!
I KNEW IT!!! I wasn’t sure about that until I read your comment. Thank you!!!
In the heights was a great movie musical. I loved it.
I’ve seen this movie 4 times I’m obsessed
I saw this movie last Friday and I love it and I’m currently obsessed with it.
Having that said, I respect your opinion.
I doubt Lin purposely excluded anyone. People will always find a reason to pick something apart and I have talked to people from the Dominican Republic and from Washington heights, they said they really enjoyed it. I would not have wanted tokenism to make people feel as though they aren't left out. I honestly think if Lin checked all the boxes people would still find a reason to complain. There are stories to tell within specific mixed race people, I would rather have people telling those stories. But that's just me.
AGREED
@@sistasistaourchannel9829 my friend from New York also confirmed that Washington heights has been gentrified and is mostly white people these days I think lin was just telling his story about growing up and Latin people having more representation is a good thing having to worry about including everyone is going to feel like pandering and that is going to make entertainment suffer because there are stories to be told about every culture and people can do it the right way but people are going to find reasons to complain I think
Poor Lin just can't seem to please...
In "Hamilton" folks complained about the POC cast not actually representing the character's they were playing because they weren't white enough.
In "In The Heights" it's basically the same complaint but folks now complaining it wasn't black enough.
Did it really take anything away from "Hamilton" because the cast didn't perfectly represent the color of the people they were portraying?
No? Then it seems hypocritical to throw the same shade at "In The Heights".
Lord forbid Lin decides to make a musical about Martians...folks will complain they aren't green enough. smh
i think what you meant with the musical numbers kind of happening in another world is called "magical realism" at least in literature. there was definitely some magic going on (like benny and nina breaking the laws of physics) but it's not adressed, it's just a part of the world that was created and i LOVED THAT so much
(not sure this is what you meant lol but this is how i understood it)
Yes please do a video pointing out the differences between the film and the stage production. I would love to see something like that!!!
I was very sad to see Camila gone too. ‘Enough’ was one of my favourite songs as to me (a latinx person) it really represented latina mums and what they go through and their power well.
I was kind of disappointed in the casting of the girls? I really do think they should have done better and cast at least one dark skinned Afro latinx person, if not more. Also they were both the exact same body type and it kind of grated on me that they had a variety of body types in the background but the two leading women reflected your typical movie beauty standard.
But despite all of that it moved me from start to finish. I never thought I would feel represented like that on the big screen and I essentially cried the whole way through imagining the latinx kids who are going to see this honest portrayal of their community rather than the drugs/violence/sex we usually have to make do with.
Yes exactly! To your second point, I was also extremely disappointed in who they casted for the lead girls. It’s like they were the same person, no offense. They had so much diversity in the background but chose two girls with the same build and skin color as leads. However, they both did great.
amy i'd love the video on the differences between the musical and the movie!!!!!! as a huge fan of the musical, some of the changes in the movie really stood out to me DKFJDKLSFJL and i'd love a vid detailing that!
OMG. THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED. Great video, Amy. I absolutely adored the movie. To me, it's so good i'm jealous of it. idk how that's possible. Just every beat and funk grabs you in for the whole runtime. It's just a fun experience from beginning to end. Cya soon!!!
Thank you! I was so sad when they cut Sunrises. I was waiting and really wanted to see it in the movie and then it was cut😥😭
My opinions ☺️:
* It feels like Benny & Nina's characters and relationship was almost pointless in the movie, and the characters felt one dimensional. It made it hard to enjoy their scenes.
* I'm sad that they didn't explain that the reason Nina dropped out of college was because she had to take on 2 jobs & couldn't keep up with the work. Instead, they just made it sound like she left because she felt like she didn't fit in. They made her storyline more confusing.
* I kind of like that they left it till the end to reveal that Claudia had the winning lottery ticket. It was more of a surprise that you didn't see coming.
* The movie felt long, so I'm glad that they decided to cut songs. Unfortunately, though, they didn't make up for it in the character development.
* The movie was visually amazing (the best thing about it!) and, for me, the show works much better on the screen than on stage.
I felt it was obvious why Nina dropped because of the Mico aggressions for being a Afro Latina
I was surprised about the songs cut from the original too, but then I remembered in theatre you get a 10-15min interval. Unless it's Avengers Endgame, most people (including me, honestly) would struggle to watch a long show without a break, so in order to cut that back you have to cut 3-4 songs. As annoying as it is that some of the cut songs are musically better than the ones kept in the film, I do think the ones kept in make more sense tonally and narratively from the perspective of someone who hasn't seen the original and doesn't know that story already.
I think it's important to see the film as a stand alone piece of art without comparing it to the theatre production too much, because they are two separate works of art despite one growing from the other. I see it as comparing an apple to the tree you just picked it from- sure it grew from the same stuff but right now it exists for a new purpose.
Thank you for your very candid review of this movie. I've been on the fence about whether to see it or not, but after watching your review, I think I will!
I watched Pride recently and when you held up your LGSM shirt I nearly screamed, that movie is great
i love Pride!!!!!!
*sings every woman is a lesbian at heart infinitely
LESBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MINERS - literally always shout this line out at the most random times
For Piragua, Lin basically played his grandpa. It was so sweet hearing him talk about that in his interviews.
I loved that the glasses were his grandfathers
I dont know how to feel about the whole controversy about representation of afro-dominican people. It really feels like if you have any sign of an agenda in your art the people on that same ideology are gonna rip it to bits. Like if I say im vegan publicly then everyone will pay attention to my every move to catch me eating meat or whatever, while at the same time there are people just showing a full steak online and get no criticism. Thats just an analogy, but it applies to everything. Im starting to feel like more conservative, mostly white shows, are safer because no one is expecting representation, but to even try to push forward, means youll get hate for it not being enough.
I also think the movie is a little flawed in many aspects (like how they try to make it in current time, when it was about the blackout of 2003), but no one can mention that because there is a bad faith discussion happening at the fore front.
I think the problem with setting it in 2003 is that it gives people a cop out. They can say that we live in a post-racial society. "Why should we discuss issues of gentrification? It's obviously not a problem now because this movie takes place almost twenty years ago!" That would be the perfect excuse to not talk about those issues. When we see movies about issues, like racism, in movies they're almost always set in the past. The Help, Green book, Loving, ect. When the film about the serious issue is set in modern times there's always a backlash about how it's playing to PC culture and how it's too political. Hidden Figures is an inspiring story and The Hate U Give is a PC movie trying to stir up trouble. That's the difference. When we set it in modern times the discussion isn't about the inspiring story but about the issue itself. It forces people to confront their own prejudices because they can no longer hide behind the veneer of a story set in the past. Because as written, In The Heights is now a period piece, it's been that long. I don't think anything could be lost by updating the script. It had everything to gain. But that's just my two cents as a privileged white guy.
@@josephcarlisle1943 Thats a very good point that i hadn't considered and it is more evident with how they added protests and Sonnys immigration status etc. I guess it just seems a little silly to me to think that a blackout of that magnitude could happen today with a precedent like 2003 since the electrical system of Washington heights was completely updated. Its a little nit-picky now thinking about it.
Oh and another HSM reference I thought was the Benny and Nina on the walls part, very ‘can I have this dance’
funny i thought about HSM 3 too but different scene...reminded me of "scream" when the room started spinning lol
@@RespectMyThickness omg yeah, I didn’t make the connection until now lol
Thanks for your thoughtful, thought-provoking, and fun review.
Omg yes I'm in love with Anthony Ramos as Usnavi
Omg please talk about the differences!! We NEED another video😍😍
I would love to see a video about the differences between the play and the movie Amy!
funny how jon m chu is experiencing this colorism controversy again. this was a problem with crazy rich asian as well
I LOVE Everything I Know and while I was originally devastated to hear it was cut *spoiler* I found it way better for Nina's character arc that her reason for going back to school wasn't an inherited dream (meaning, because of all that Claudia did for her as is expressed in Everything I Know) but because she wanted to help out her community and those less fortunate than her (personified in Sonny, since in the movie he's undocumented). So instead of doing just doing what others wanted from her, she found her purpose in helping her community with the opportunity she was granted and her family had worked for. And about Camila being dead, IF it was done to give more space to a queer character (Daniela), I'm ok with that.
I'm SO excited this film is finally out!!! I've loved the soundtrack for so long and have never seen the stage show 😢! I'm really hoping that the film coming out will mean that the show gets revived so I can finally see it 🤞
Totally agree about Vanessa and Nina! I was confused when they went to the club and everyone was saying hi to Vanessa - they made her quite un-likeable, so why did she have so many friends??
They were cat calling her?
This implies that Vanessa is a regular at the club and goes there often. Plus, she's supposed to be the popular girl that everyone likes and since W.Heights seems to be a tight-knit community, almost everyone knows her. Also, there's nothing wrong with having many friends... what?
Nobody in the comments mentioning the nod to Hamilton when "You'll be back" was the music on hold when the dad called the school administration !!
I LOOVED THIS MOVIE SO MUCH!
The US has changed a lot in the past year and the conversations about BIPOC representation and roles has changed a lot. We're having conversations and awareness that wasn't part of the discussion two or more years ago when this film was cast. I am hoping for more in the future, but the project as a non-white beachhead cannot be dismissed either. I agree with you that people need to support the film, so that there will be more like this one (and even better represented) in the future.
96,000 had the best choreography! It was so cool to watch!
I waited so longo for this review!
Got so excited to hear your take on this that I was about to watch even though I've yet to see it. However, I think ill hold back and bookmark this video for after my next cinema trip!
no matter what people do, people will always hate on what you're doing even if it's good
Dascha polanco was criminally underrated In this film, but all in all I loved it
i don't think she was underrated...but very under USED. i wish there was more of her...well more of the salon ladies in general.
I literally saw it today! This timing is PERFECT 🤩
SO HERE FOR THIS!! Thank you for covering it ❤️❤️ missed seeing your face in my subscription videos. And tbh, I like musicals I watched glee but I was no theatre nerd at all. More of an athlete so that should say a lot about your video quality like I’m genuinely a fan even tho I’m not a die hard knowledge in this department.
I would love a video on the differences! I noticed somethings (most of which I didn’t like how they changed it), but to hear specific details of how they changed it would be great!
If you look at the side of Stephanie’s (Carla) shirt at the photo at 11:55 you can see a very subtle rainbow stripe too
I’m curious to see what happens around the colorist conversation when West Side Story comes out in December. In the trailer Maria (in the white dress) looks rather light, and honestly rather passing.
its such a difficult situation to navigate because that actress has just been cast as Snow White in the live action Disney remake and has been absolutely HARASSED on the internet for being Latina instead of porcelain white. so it's good that through Maria she gets to celebrate that side of her and appreciate it as something beautiful, however it is an issue that comes up all the time that people seem to want the lightest versions of these ethnicities possible without just casting white people. So it's a complicated thing ya know
I get how the new mural fits in terms of the framing device used in the movie, but I feel like the mural of Abuela Claudia is way more powerful and is a bigger visual statement that Usnavi has the ability to become the new Claudia and hold onto and share the stories of those living in the neighborhood.
I fully agree with you on your comments about Sunrise for Benny and Nina and also Nina's mum. I would have LOVED it if Enough was in the movie too. Such a good song of Nina and her parents and Nina's mum pulling the matriarch card!
I think the dream sequences were purposeful. the entire musical is centered on the fact that the neighborhood is built of suenitos. little dreams.
I have never seen the stage production so I knew near to nothing going into this movie and I find it amazing. Sometimes it can be a plus to go in blank haha. Def going to see the movie again and listen to the album on replay. Also did love the representation!
Whaaaaat? I LOVED that beginning sequence on 96,000! Hahaha! I think it looks so cool! They're so good with it!
I really didn’t like Vanessa for the first half of the film, she seemed really disinterested with Usnavi. I wanted more Nina and Benny and I don’t really like the new storyline with them. I think the tension between Nina’s Dad and Benny wasn’t really in the film which is one of my favourite parts in the show. I agree that the little doodles in 96,000 where cringe and I didn’t like the creepy child in Breathe or when they all decided to stare at Nina when she was singing, it was just a bit creepy. Also the mannequin heads in No me diga were horrifying. All that aside, the film was so bright and fun and the performers were all amazing. 96,000 was great in the pool and Pacience Fe made me SOB.
Also, this is really small but I really like how Sonny and Graffiti Pete(?) set of the fireworks in blackout because that made so much sense to me
In fact, I went to see yesterday and I couldn’t wait to see your video. So, here’s my opinion:
1. I was singing in my mind In the heights and the part that the mum said “One ticket that’s it” wasn’t there, that got me mad.
2. I didn’t have a good impression on Anthony Ramos in the role of Usnavi at the Beggining. After seeing that, I change my mind TOTALLY. I enjoyed a lot his acting, singing and dancing.
3. The order of the songs: I thought it would have respected the order of the songs of the musical.
4. Breathe: The original version is written in Bb Major. The film is a lower mid-tone, A Major. Why’s that change?
5. LMM: I love him, he is a genius but as an actor and singer, I don’t like him.
6. Nina and Benny scene on the roofs: I saw a comment earlier about it and I have to agree that it reminded me to Zac Efron’s scene in HSM 3.
I love it and I want to give support to all the Latinos, Asians and African actors and actresses. We have to change this world.
i saw it yesterday and looking forward to watching this!
Great review! Pretty much mirrored exactly what I thought when I saw it!
I haven't seen the full thing yet, but I'm hopefully going to this week and I'm so excited! Dani and Carla are my fave characters as well, so I'm so excited to see their dynamic. I also agree with a lot of the cuts-I loved Nina's mom prob because she's played by Priscilla Lopez who is one of my biggest heroes, and it is a shame that she's not in the movie
I do wish there were more coloured Latinos, but personally I think the representation is absolutely great! Although I have to say I hated the usage of latinx in this video more. It makes us sound like a Kleenex brand lmao. For next time Latin American would be better if you’re worried Latino might be too selective. Although Latino is for women men and anyone else seeing as it’s a romantic language and that’s just how they work. Same with French. Plus the word was created by Americans not the Latino community. Anyway sorry! I just really dislike the word, so some tips for next time, Latin American would be best!
But on a positive note I love your green headband and your Stitch plushy in the background!
Sorry!! I tried to find the right word and really appreciate your advice for next time!! ♥️♥️
@@AmyLovatt1 I was worried I was too harsh! It’s not a problem, I love your videos 💙 thank you for understanding, me and I’m sure others
definitely appreciate it!
@@AmyLovatt1 i’m puerto rican and i have a lot of nonbinary friends, so we use latinx a lot! I personally appreciated the use here, but yeah… a lot of us like it, a lot don’t. it’s honestly a personal preference so don’t worry about it.
So latinos can't be American? The term was created to reflect oppression. And yet here we are talking more about at word than actually tackling the issues.
13:14 the theater was just me and my friend, and I was so happy and grateful that she let me sing a little and dance to the music throughout the movie!
I am from Cuba. As an actress and a singer I can tell you how difficult is for mixed race people to be cast in movies and musical theater. Miranda represented the Latin race in all of its expressions, there is more mixed race Latin people than afro latin people. So, if you guys are going to stand up for color skin people you shouldn't forget there are millions of people around the world that are not black or white. (excuse my English)
i would love a breakdown of all the differences! the changes in the order of abuela claudia's story break my heart, especially being before carnaval (break my heart in a bad way not like it makes it more emotional, its worse that way)
I’M SO EXCITED TO WATCH IT
By the way,I’m not gonna say my age but I’m fairly young and you were the person that got me into musicals! ^^
I think Dascha Palanco (Cuca) identifies as an Afro-Latina, that's what google said anyway.
her , leslie , and daphne are all afro latina
@Albue Emery I love you’re profile pic!!
A few weeks ago I watched In the heights and West Side Story and there is a bittersweet taste to me because even though I loved both movies I hate that latin people are always portrayed only as brunettes erasing the white and black people. At least here in South America is full of white people as much as brunettes but the latin stereotype is that we all look like Sofia Vergara or Rita Moreno, but we do not. Anyway, I love the representation in musicals and movies and how they are opening doors for us to get jobs on the music theatre industry ❤️
Love you and this review!!
Jon M Chu knows how to do a dance film. My fave step up movies are 2&3 & he directed them amazingly so not surprised he got the choreographer from the films.
Hi Amy! Yes, please do a differences video between the stage production and the movie 🥰I've never seen the stage production so am interested to know how they adapted it for the screen x
I was an extra for film. “96,000” took us two 17 hour days, one 12 hour and one 10 hour day to film.
Amy, just watched your DEH movie review and I think you should consider theatre criticism or dramaturgy if that's something that would interest you. I think you'd be really good at it! I love hearing your voice and thinking about the interesting points you bring up
I hate that they cut so many Benny and Nina moments. The line in Carnival del Barrio where Daniela is ribbing Benny for sleeping with Nina doesn't make as much sense because you don't actually see it (I mean the aftermath) After the Blackout they don't run off together as they did in the show, so you're thinking "when?!"
I really did connect with Vanessa in this film. She's always been one of my favourite characters, I love It Won't Be Long Now and I did think Melissa Berrera was great. I found the scene with Usnavi when they're sitting on her stoop really touching. And the very ending! Corny as hell but I loved it.
Anthony Ramos is an absolute dream. He's so cute and awkward and adorable! Also, I still want Jimmy Smits to be president.
I would give the movie a 4/5 too! I really really liked it! Never seen the stage show so I went in with 0 expectations and was pleasantly surprised😃 I didn’t have anything to compare it to and I think that was good. I loved the characters the dancing and I fell in love with the soundtrack! The only thing holding it back from a 5/5 for me is that I was missing seeing more of Benny and Ninas relationship evolve
I love how Daniela and Carla aren’t only known for being together. One thing I don’t like in media is when a characters only trait is being LGBTQIA+. It makes our whole community seem one dimensional and I’m so happy that they didn’t take away either of their personalities!