At the start of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, David King (Denzel Washington) is a fortunately married household man and dealmaking king on the verge of constructing his most necessary deal ever: Reclaiming possession of Stackin’ Hits, the document label that made him into an business mogul on par with the most important names in music. His secret to success? Having “one of the best ears within the enterprise,” in a position to determine rising expertise simply on the verge of greatness.
With a purpose to purchase his firm again, David is able to danger each penny he has — together with his beautiful DUMBO penthouse condo with its gorgeous views of Manhattan. Sadly, it’s at this actual second when a father or mother’s worst nightmare happens: David will get a name from somebody claiming to have kidnapped his teenage son Trey (Aubrey Joseph), demanding an infinite ransom in trade for Trey’s protected return.
The catch, although, is that the abductors made a mistake and took the mistaken son — particularly Trey’s finest good friend Kyle (Elijah Wright), who occurs to be the son of David’s eternally loyal driver/finest good friend 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 business and a brand new period. Lee and author Alan Fox stay more true than anticipated to the 1963 movie, whereas nonetheless making notable adjustments: Within the authentic, the businessman on the heart of the story (performed by the enduring Toshiro Mifune) works within the shoe business, and the 2 boys on the heart of the kidnapping plot are a lot youthful. Kurosawa additionally didn’t draw out the suspense over which son was truly kidnapped, the best way Lee does right here. However all of the adjustments and updates made occur with a substantial amount of respect for the unique work being paid homage.
But the film additionally seems like a chance for Lee to reengage with town he loves and the artwork kind that has outlined his life: You’ll be able to 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 pressure of the NYPD in opposition to some very intelligent planning and a well-timed road 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 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 best way the pair work collectively to create David’s world that it’s virtually a shock to comprehend that that is solely their fifth movie collectively. In some way, it looks like they’ve achieved extra.
Highest 2 Lowest (A24)
Past Washington unleashing his charisma on display screen, 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 completely seen carrying Stackin’ Hits-branded monitor fits and T-shirts, his loyalty to his employer on an virtually equal taking part in subject along with his religion.
ASAP Rocky, in the meantime, might play an aspiring artist attempting to get David’s consideration, however his efficiency could 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 a couple of 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 had been tales that felt extra politically pushed (all too aptly, given the occasions throughout which they had been made), Highest 2 Lowest lacks that angle, maybe due to 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, full of love for the craft that makes motion pictures like this potential.
Highest 2 Lowest debuts in theaters starting Friday, August fifteenth. Try the trailer under.
