Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest Is a Wealthy Feast for Film Lovers: Assessment

At first of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, David King (Denzel Washington) is a fortunately married household man and dealmaking king on the verge of creating his most necessary deal ever: Reclaiming possession of Stackin’ Hits, the report label that made him into an trade mogul on par with the most important names in music. His secret to success? Having “the most effective ears within the enterprise,” capable of determine rising expertise simply on the verge of greatness.

To be able to purchase his firm again, David is able to danger each penny he has — together with his attractive DUMBO penthouse condo with its gorgeous views of Manhattan. Sadly, it’s at this precise second when a mum or dad’s worst nightmare happens: David will get a name from somebody claiming to have kidnapped his teenage son Trey (Aubrey Joseph), demanding an unlimited ransom in alternate for Trey’s secure return.

The catch, although, is that the abductors made a mistake and took the improper son — particularly Trey’s greatest buddy Kyle (Elijah Wright), who occurs to be the son of David’s eternally loyal driver/greatest buddy Paul (Jeffrey Wright — Elijah’s real-life father). When it was his son in want of rescuing, David didn’t hesitate. Now, although…

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That’s the set-up for a musically-driven, tight little thriller, remixing the plot of Akira Kurosawa’s extremely acclaimed Excessive and Low for a brand new trade and a brand new period. Lee and author Alan Fox stay more true than anticipated to the 1963 movie, whereas nonetheless making notable modifications: Within the unique, the businessman on the middle of the story (performed by the enduring Toshiro Mifune) works within the shoe trade, and the 2 boys on the middle of the kidnapping plot are a lot youthful. Kurosawa additionally didn’t draw out the suspense over which son was really kidnapped, the way in which Lee does right here. However all of the modifications and updates made occur with an excessive amount of respect for the unique work being paid homage.

But the film additionally appears like a possibility for Lee to reengage with the town he loves and the artwork kind that has outlined his life: You possibly can sense his love for making motion pictures in New York so profoundly, particularly within the film’s dazzling showstopper set piece, an intricately choreographed sequence that pits the complete drive of the NYPD towards some very intelligent planning and a well-timed avenue pageant.

The film additionally reunites Lee with the one actor most recognized along with his profession, and he and Denzel Washington stay one of many nice actor-director pairings. Lee at this level is aware of that typically, the one factor you might want to do to make a scene magic is to place a digicam on Washington and let him rip; there’s such a simple assurance to the way in which the pair work collectively to create David’s world that it’s virtually a shock to understand that that is solely their fifth movie collectively. One way or the other, it looks as if they’ve carried out extra.

Highest 2 Lowest (A24)

Past Washington unleashing his charisma on display, the forged options one other standout efficiency from Jeffrey Wright, as his character lives and dies within the battle between panic over his lacking son and his timeless fealty to David. An ideal element: Paul is sort of solely seen sporting Stackin’ Hits-branded monitor fits and T-shirts, his loyalty to his employer on an virtually equal taking part in area along with his religion.

ASAP Rocky, in the meantime, could play an aspiring artist attempting to get David’s consideration, however his efficiency may be very a lot that of an actor first, even when the scene attracts on his pure rapping expertise. He’s virtually unnerving, at sure factors, in ways in which communicate effectively for his future profession on this realm.

Highest 2 Lowest doesn’t explicitly draw a parallel between Lee’s personal profession and David maybe feeling like he’s misplaced his contact (one thing which multiple character accuses David of). But there’s an influence to it that comes from an auteur who is aware of simply how good he’s. Whereas BlacKKKlansman and Da 5 Bloods have been tales that felt extra politically pushed (all too aptly, given the occasions throughout which they have been made), Highest 2 Lowest lacks that angle, maybe because of getting greenlit in a post-pandemic/pre-2024 election time period.

As an alternative, it’s a filmmaking flex that establishes simply how good on the fundamentals Lee stays. At this level, there aren’t plenty of genres he hasn’t performed in, proving as adept with a live performance movie like David Byrne’s American Utopia as he’s with documentary — and so when he takes on a mission like this, his confidence makes the outcomes, for lack of a greater phrase, scrumptious. A wealthy feast for cinephiles, crammed with love for the craft that makes motion pictures like this attainable.

Highest 2 Lowest debuts in theaters starting Friday, August fifteenth. Try the trailer under.