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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Washington Heights
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Romance
Written by:
Nat Moss
Alfredo De Villa
Manny Perez (story)
Junot Diaz (additional dialogue)
Directed by: Alfredo De Villa
Release Date:
Theatrical: May 9, 2003
DVD: November 4, 2003
Running Time: 80 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for language, sexuality, brief violence and drug use
Starring Tomas Milian, Manny Perez, Danny Hoch, Jude Ciccolella, Andrea Navedo, Bobby Cannavale, David Zayas, and Callie Thorne
An aspiring comic book artist (Perez) of Dominican heritage is forced to take over his family's bodega in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan when his father is crippled by a gunshot from a robber.
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The New Republic Stanley Kauffmann
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.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
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.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
This well-paced film's realistic style and authentic locales are a perfect fit for the characters and their story.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Merle Bertrand
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.
Read Full Review >Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
De Villa's debut film is persuasively written and acted, if a tad rougher around the edges than one might wish.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Edward Crouse
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.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Buoyed by strong performances from Perez and Miami-resident Milian, Washington Heights overcomes the familiarity of its premise through its passion and conviction.
Read Full Review >New York Post Megan Lehmann
De Villa has created a truthful representation of a colorful community.
Read Full Review >Variety Ronnie Scheib
Believable characters trump the retread plot and hokey message.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
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.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ken Fox
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.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
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.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan
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.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Chad S. gave it a 7:
The first goal of a film shot on a shoestring budget is to captivate the audience with story and engaging characters, thereby, depending on who you are, negating your admiration or repulsion of a frill-less enterprise with a film that's competitive with a so-called "real" film that has lighting or Sharon Stone. "Charlotte Sometimes" gets you at the outset, and "Washington Heights", after a slow start, will get you too. For me, my engagement began with Carlos' stint as the operator of his father's bodega, because it makes his dream to be a comic book artist all the more arresting. In a studio film, Carlos Ramirez would play this same role, but as a supporting player or extra, and more importantly, as a stereotype. He's Latin, so of course he's running a bodega. Ramirez is very good here, and "Washington Heights", here and there, rewards you for taking a chance on a movie that looks like a student film, but doesn't feel like one.
