Critic Reviews
| 90 |
The New Republic
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.
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| 88 |
Philadelphia Inquirer
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.
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| 80 |
Los Angeles Times
This well-paced film's realistic style and authentic locales are a perfect fit for the characters and their story.
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| 80 |
Film Threat
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.
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| 75 |
Christian Science Monitor
De Villa's debut film is persuasively written and acted, if a tad rougher around the edges than one might wish.
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| 70 |
Village Voice
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.
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| 63 |
Miami Herald
Buoyed by strong performances from Perez and Miami-resident Milian, Washington Heights overcomes the familiarity of its premise through its passion and conviction.
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| 63 |
New York Post
De Villa has created a truthful representation of a colorful community.
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| 60 |
Variety
Ronnie Scheib
Believable characters trump the retread plot and hokey message.
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| 60 |
The New York Times
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.
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| 60 |
TV Guide
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.
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| 60 |
Salon.com
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.
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| 58 |
Portland Oregonian
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.
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| 50 |
LA Weekly
Promising yet problematic.
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