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Washington Heights

EMAILPRINTMAC Releasing LLC

Washington Heights reviews
65
9.0 User Score:

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.

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...

90

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.

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88

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.

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80

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.

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80

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.

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75

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.

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70

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.

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63

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.

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63

New York Post Megan Lehmann

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 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.

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60

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.

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60

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.

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58

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.

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50

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

Promising yet problematic.

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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.

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