Highest 2 Lowest Is All the Best and Worst of Spike Lee

by

In simpler terms, “Highest 2 Lowest” is more suited for an older audience, and I don’t mean that negatively. Spike Lee and Denzel Washington are both in their late 60s, and it seems fitting for them to explore their past achievements and adapt to a world that keeps evolving around them. They’ve been working together since the 90s, starting with “Mo’ Better Blues.” The upcoming film, set to release in August after its premiere at Cannes, is their fifth collaboration. Their long history together adds a profound emotional depth to the movie, as it not only brings back the director and his most prominent actor but also centers around a character who mirrors various aspects of them as artists. Denzel Washington plays David King, a music mogul with 50 Grammys to his name and a reputation for having “the best ears in the business.” However, neither he nor his label are as influential as they once were, and he contemplates selling the company before reconsidering and deciding instead to try regaining control, unwilling to let go of the opportunity to prove he can still be number one.

In the journey towards cinematic greatness, the film “Highest 2 Lowest” begins rather confusingly. Based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic “High and Low”, it initially unfolds as a corporate drama before shifting into a crime thriller when the protagonist, David, receives a call that his teenage son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) has been kidnapped. The kidnapper, however, has mistakenly taken Kyle (Elijah Wright), Trey’s friend and the only child of David’s driver and right-hand man Paul (Jeffrey Wright). With his own son’s ransom draining the funds he had borrowed and leveraged for a business deal, David is faced with a moral dilemma: is he willing to sacrifice everything for someone else’s child? This situation sets the stage for deep ethical introspection. Unfortunately, “Highest 2 Lowest” transforms these events into tedious, hourlong explanations. Alan Fox’s script is filled with awkward dialogue (David’s wife Pam, played by Ilfenesh Hadera, explains in excruciating detail which items on the dining table can be moved during police investigation), and the overbearing score feels like garish wall-to-wall carpeting. The glossy elegance of the Kings’ Dumbo penthouse and Manhattan offices, along with numerous skyline shots, makes the initial act feel more like a promotional video for an unspoken product.

Subsequently, the film titled “Highest 2 Lowest” ventures onto the city streets adored by David, a place where he’s been predominantly observing for years. The narrative unfolds, and it’s as if the movie has just started – and when it does, it propels forward with an exhilarating vitality. After much discussion, a significant portion of which was self-directed by David, “Highest 2 Lowest” immerses in a subway scene that intertwines a ransom dropoff, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and a Yankees game. The edge-of-your-seat tension of the mission merges with the lively commotion to such an extent that the movie itself embodies both fear and festivity. The plot takes another dramatic turn when A$AP Rocky, known as Rakim Mayers, appears on the scene as Yung Felon, a wannabe rapper who orchestrated this audacious extortion scheme out of resentment, admiration, and necessity. Mayers has previously acted in films such as the 2018 indie “Monster” and this year’s Sundance favorite “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You“, but his performance in “Highest 2 Lowest” strongly suggests that film stardom is within his grasp if he so desires. His scenes are primarily with Washington, who he invigorates with newfound energy, as the two engage in sequences that are part rap battle, part therapy session.

In this film titled “Highest 2 Lowest,” the arrival of Mayers seems to give the story its definitive focus. The movie is rich with characters who can be considered sons in one way or another – for instance, Trey, David’s successor, born into comfort and shielded from the turmoil his father endured during his youth; then there’s Kyle, David’s godson whose future care David must decide. Yung Felon, a stranger to David until their lives intertwine due to a kidnapping, can also be seen as another kind of son because he idolizes David as an absentee father figure.

“Highest 2 Lowest” delves into the theme of legacy – the question of what one owes to their audience and oneself. Both Lee and Washington are prominent figures with many years left in their careers, yet they grapple with the dilemma of whether to pursue success or follow their own interests. The film serves as a reminder, albeit somewhat awkwardly, of how much the entertainment industry has evolved, mentioning concepts such as the attention economy and the internet. However, it ultimately advocates for pursuing one’s passions, regardless of public opinion.

The message is conveyed through both words and visuals – a fan leading a chant about Boston being terrible on a delayed train, a captivating performance by Eddie Palmieri and the Salsa Orchestra, and Washington expressing his admiration for a singer he loves, demonstrating that age is merely a state of mind.

Read More

2025-05-20 23:54