Highest 2 Lowest Review: We saw the latest Spike Lee Joint

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PLOT: When his son is kidnapped, a legendary report firm proprietor (Denzel Washington) doesn’t hesitate to pay the $17.5 million ransom, even when it should successfully damage him financially. Nevertheless, when it seems the abductors made a mistake and by chance took the son of his chauffeur (Jeffrey Wright), he’s confronted with a dilemma.

REVIEW: Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest is a remake of the Akira Kurosawa traditional Excessive and Low, which, in flip, was based mostly on the crime novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain. Regardless of it being the primary time Lee has labored together with his greatest main man, Denzel Washington, in nineteen years, you’d be forgiven for lacking this one in theaters—as distributor A24 and Apple Unique Movies have barely put any advertising and marketing muscle behind it. As a substitute, Apple is banking on folks watching the movie when it hits their streaming service on September fifth. That’s a disgrace as a result of Spike Lee Joints are an occasion, and that is one other robust effort from the long-lasting director.

The premise of Highest 2 Lowest is certainly one you possibly can’t assist however chew on. Placing your self within the Denzel Washington character’s sneakers—would you give the whole lot you needed to save a baby that wasn’t yours? The film complicates issues by making his character, David King, not fairly the raving success he appears to be. On the floor, King is named a kingmaker within the music enterprise, however his report firm has been struggling because of the altering trade, and he’s below stress to promote. Not wanting his catalogue and legacy to be exploited, he’s pulled collectively just a few loans to doubtlessly purchase again some precious inventory within the firm that may preserve it in his fingers. Paying the ransom won't solely clear him out, it should additionally wipe away the cash he’s leveraged. If he pays, he loses his firm and his household’s safety—but when he doesn’t, what sort of man is he?

That is the facet of the premise that little question attracted each Lee and Washington to the movie—a deeply felt morality story the place King actually struggles together with his duty to his household, and his duty as a person. Washington delivers a terrific efficiency because the high-flying King, who faces a darkish night time of the soul, totally convincing as each a savvy, charismatic businessman (albeit one who not is aware of the biz like he as soon as did) and a loving household man. His household, together with his spouse Pam (Ilfenesh Hadera) and son Trey (Aubrey Joseph), desperately need him to pay. Complicating issues is the truth that the person whose son has been taken, Jeffrey Wright’s Paul, is one in every of his greatest pals—an ex-con who he’s been attempting to assist get again on his ft.

The premise provides Lee loads of runway to sort out a whole lot of problems with our day that clearly rankle him, together with using AI in music (one thing King rails towards), cancel tradition (if King doesn’t pay, he’ll be “cancelled” by a judgmental public), and classism, with King self-made however nonetheless very a lot on a distinct aircraft of existence from Paul.

It additionally works as a stable thriller, with the second half of the film revolving round King’s interactions with one of many perpetrators, performed by A$AP Rocky in an arresting position. The film’s centerpiece is an extended back-and-forth between the 2 of them that tackles the notion of sophistication, but additionally the sense of entitlement confronted by a youthful era. It’s heavy stuff, however Lee retains the film shifting at a fast tempo, with the 137-minute working time flying by. Technically, it’s impeccable, with beautiful cinematography by Matthew Libatique and an immaculately curated soundtrack.

It’s a disgrace extra folks received’t see this one theatrically, as Lee definitely shot this film for the massive display screen, with the sound design in a climactic chase sequence by way of the Puerto Rican Day Parade particularly nicely achieved. It cuts between the cops, a rampaging group of Yankees followers, and the late Eddie Palmieri (who simply handed just a few weeks in the past) jamming on the piano.

Hopefully folks search this one out, as a Spike Lee Joint is all the time an occasion, and the truth that it reteams him with Denzel makes it much more so. Don’t await streaming to see this one.