Overall, it is wonderful. Spoilers and quibbles below:
It is so infectiously joyful and YOUTHFUL, which really struck me after so many recent musicals that have been about middle-aged people or have featured people who aren't natural musical performers. Olga Merediz is tremendous and deserves serious Oscar consideration for her role. Thank god Rita Moreno had a scheduling conflict and couldn't do it. Nobody else is quite working on her level, but everyone gives totally respectable performances and everyone can sing. Anthony Ramos is so likable.
There are multiple musical numbers that would have been the best in any other movie. 96,000, When the Sun Goes Down, and Paciencia y Fe are all transcendent.
I found the opening weak and disjointed, and the end after Abuela Claudia's death is overlong. The film is 2.5 hours and it feels it, but the middle section soars. It's more sophisticated than the stage show, but the quaintness of the source material is still there.
It's a glossy view of upper Manhattan. Yes, they filmed on the streets, but they resurfaced all the storefronts and omitted the less savory aspects of town (crime, homelessness, grungy sections, an influx of both white and Black gentrification) which would have grounded it in a little more realism; 10% more Uncut Gems would have gone a long way and could have been achieved in the Mark Anthony scene. It's a love letter to New York City on the level of On the Town or Manhattan, and obviously Lin views his neighborhood through rose-tinted glasses.
I know Warner is hoping this can be a major hit like A Star Is Born. I don't think it will quite get to that level ("middle America" might still be turned off by it), but this will be a huge crowdpleaser and a serious contender at the Oscars in Best Director, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Editing, and other crafts...which at that point basically makes it a Best Picture contender, too.
7 or 8 out of 10. Which is SO much better than other recent musicals.
Updated On: 4/21/21 at 04:04 PM
