Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Washington Heights
Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
view
per page
  1. The New Republic
    Reviewed by: Stanley Kauffmann
    90
    Washington Heights, under De Villa's guidance, bubbles. Once more, as in comparable films, it creates a foreign nexus in a domestic setting -- a group of people who live in two cultures.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    88
    Made in a forthright, unfancy style and utilizing a cast of born naturals, Washington Heights deftly draws parallels between father and son's complicated relationship and the tensions that pulse through this predominantly Dominican American community.
  3. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Merle Bertrand
    80
    A powerful no-frills drama. It's a film that never flinches from its colorful, if sometimes cruel namesake neighborhood and the people who populate it.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    80
    This well-paced film's realistic style and authentic locales are a perfect fit for the characters and their story.
  5. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    75
    De Villa's debut film is persuasively written and acted, if a tad rougher around the edges than one might wish.
  6. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Edward Crouse
    70
    One-upping Latino immigrant movies like "Luminarias" and "Tortilla Soup," Washington Heights zeroes in on go-getters (mostly of Dominican lineage) whose ambitions are transformed by familial demands.
  7. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    63
    Buoyed by strong performances from Perez and Miami-resident Milian, Washington Heights overcomes the familiarity of its premise through its passion and conviction.
  8. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Megan Lehmann
    63
    De Villa has created a truthful representation of a colorful community.
  9. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    60
    Not surprisingly, the film is strongest when its characters are simply hanging out, shooting the breeze and venting their feelings, while moments of high drama occasionally fall flat.
  10. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    60
    Alfredo de Villa's Washington Heights feels stiff and overworked in places, and sometimes the acting is a bit awkward. And yet the story is both compelling and easy to identify with.
  11. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    60
    For all its untidiness, Washington Heights teems with life, and its star, Mr. Perez, has charisma to burn. The movie vividly depicts the interdependence and solidarity of people in working-class urban neighborhoods where residents really need one another.
  12. Variety
    Reviewed by: Ronnie Scheib
    60
    Believable characters trump the retread plot and hokey message.
  13. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Kim Morgan
    58
    The performances are uniformly fine, with Perez showing a heavy amount of presence and complexity. It's no wonder the film works best when fixed on his face.
  14. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Chuck Wilson
    50
    Promising yet problematic.
prev next
Page:
  • 1