When a titan music mogul is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
Pam says:
“Highest 2 Lowest” is Spike Lee’s newest endeavor and is sure to create waves and buzz as a remake of Kurosawa’s film “High to Low” from 1963 and originally from Evan Hunter’s novel “King’s Ransom.” “Highest 2 Lowest” introduces us to David King (Denzel Washington), a music guru trying to reinvent his company without selling out to tech AI. He’s a god of music, earning the respect from everyone across the globe, but with that comes jealousy and he finds this out the hard way as his son, Trey (Aubrey Joseph) is kidnapped and held for ransom. However, the kidnapper nabbed the wrong boy, confusing Trey with his best friend Kyle (Elijah Wright) whose father, Paul Christopher (Jeffrey Wright) happens to be the best friend and employee of King. And this is where is starts to get psychologically twisty; ready to pay the $17.5M ransom for his own son, David King must now decide if he can spare the money for his best friend’s son. All the while, we ask ourselves, “What would I do in this situation?”
The moral conundrum weaves its way through the entire film as the police, David’s wife Pam (Ilfenesh Hadera) and business associates weigh the pros and cons, both tangible and intangible, both with their own set of unique consequences. What first is a psychologically intriguing story quickly morphs into an intense thriller and we are on the edge of our seats unable to predict the details of what quickly unfolds before our eyes.
As you would expect from a Spike Lee Joint film, style and music profoundly impact the story, unfortunately to its initial detriment. The musical score overshadows the story as we are introduced to each of the characters, making the story feel kitschy. Thankfully, as we get to the heart of the story, we can tune that out, or maybe it became more subdued, allowing us to be immersed into this treacherous tale that somehow wove humorous moments into the story. (Love the apartment number on the door!) While there were unexpected and almost jarring edits of repeat action as they changed the point of view, this also tapered off after the first few scenes allowing us to sit back and enjoy this smart thrill ride.
Finding the right tone and an actor to have the finesse to carry out the lead role is crucial for this film and Washington, not surprisingly, nails it. He’s complex, layered, and at once, authentic as this tough-as-nails father and businessman who remembers what it is that anchors him. Seeing Wright as Paul Christopher, David’s best friend from childhood who made some bad past decisions, found a second chance thanks to David. That connection and gratefulness is palpable as the pair find that fine line of respect, hierarchy, and ultimately, moralistic values.
The final act is one that is powerfully evocative, catching your breath as you lean into the action and despair. The scene in this final act where Washington’s King intensely interacts with A$AP Rocky is both heartbreaking and enlightening. It’s a master performance of music, lyricism, and nuance that will not soon leave my memory.
“Highest 2 Lowest,” after the first act, gives us food for thought and a thrilling ride thanks to a great story told well; Lee shines in remaking this film and leads his ensemble cast into a remarkable production.
3 1/2 stars
Chuck says:
Using the Akira Kurosawa classic “High and Low” as a starting point, Spike Lee delivers a searing examination of the ever-expanding class divide in “Highest 2 Lowest,” his fifth collaboration with Denzel Washington. Like so many of the director’s films, he casts a wide net regarding the issues he tackles, both societal and moral, all the while resisting the temptation to rein in the story and its many tangents. Still, the way in which he looks at the corrupting influence of wealth and our desire to obtain it, remains riveting throughout. The drama that ensues regarding a prickly ethical conundrum is one that yields a rich narrative meal the cast and filmmaker eagerly tear into.
Washington is David King, a music mogul whose heyday may have passed, yet he still wields considerable power within the industry. Living in a posh Manhattan high-rise, he’s become isolated from his colleagues, family and real-world concerns. The wake-up call that snaps him out of his stupor is a dire one. After coming out of his high school basketball practice, King’s son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) is kidnapped. Frantic, he and his wife Pam (Ilfenesh Hadera) alert the authorities, who set out to find the young man.
Fortunately, 24 hours later Trey is found unharmed. Unfortunately, all concerned realize his best friend Kyle (Elijah Wright), who has also gone missing but whose absence has been overshadowed because he is the son of King’s chauffeur, Paul (Jeffrey Wright) is the one who’s been abducted. The perpetrator of the crime (A$AP Rocky), once he contacts them with his demands, doesn’t believe he has the wrong boy, still insisting that a multi-million-dollar ransom be paid for his release.
Whether King will make this payment or not is the crux of the film’s second act, one in which his moral character is put to the test. How he approaches this situation proves revelatory to his wife and son as well as his good friend Paul who’s stood by him for years. From his point of view, this isn’t simply a financial concern – though he is cash poor due to complex business dealings – but also one of perception. Will he be seen as easy prey if he pays? Can his company’s image weather the storm if he refuses to do so? And just how will this affect his relationship with his family, friends, and business associates?
This is rich material and when Lee devotes his focus to it, the movie has us riveted. Other twists occur before the credits role that raise the stakes, the tension in these moments, arresting. It’s when the director drifts away from this narrative throughline that the film suffers. Far too many scenes run too long, an extended, improbable sequence involving a subway train, a chase, and a Puerto Rican music festival proves laborious, while the director’s tendency to allow the soundtrack music to overwhelm the action proves distracting.
As you would expect, Washington excels with such a rich character, his intensity, whether it be smoldering or overt, present throughout. The rest of the cast rise to his level, while the moments between him and Wright are a delight, the two master thespians going toe-to-toe, each conveying as much through what they don’t say as what they do. However, the major surprise is A$AP Rocky, the rapper bringing a fire to the third act that’s impressive. A confrontation between him and King is one of the best movie moments of the year, the young man defiantly demanding recognition and money due, not so much for the songs he’s written but because of the circumstances he was born into. King’s refusal to do so, insisting these things must be earned and not given, creates an electric moment, a clash of generational philosophies that powerfully speaks to the various aspects of the current social divide.
Without question, the film overstays its welcome, the production in need of an objective editor to trim the narrative fat. Still, the strength of the story and its message weather this storm, Lee, Washington and the rest giving us plenty to chew on. “Highest” is the sort of filmmaking we’ve come to expect from the director and his peers, the irony being that it is in such short supply when we need it the most.
3 1/2 Stars
