Life Through the Lens: Disaster is always looming
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"Listen, you either build or destroy, beloved."
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David King (Denzel Washington) has changed the music business with his ear for talent and his heart for culture. The last few years have shown a slight crack in the throne, though: in a moment of weakness, King sold his majority stake in the company to cover momentary losses. Now feeling high again, King seeks to buy out his partner, but, to do that, King sells many assets and prized collections. The ends justify the means, right?
With a truckload of cash now available, King attempts to make the deal to buy back his legacy ... and then a phone call is received. The unknown caller tells King that his son has been kidnapped and a ransom has been set for $17.5 million. King and his wife Pam quickly agree that nothing is more important than family and money cannot rival the power of love! Sweet, huh? The ransom will be paid!
When King's son Trey is found, the situation becomes clearer: the kidnapper kidnapped the wrong kid. But, hey...they still have a kid. Turns out, they have King's best friend (Jeffery Wright) Paul's son. The kidnapper demands the same ransom be paid, $17.5 million for someone else's son. Remember the power of love and family...well, King seems to have forgotten. He will not pay; after all, that money was for his musical kingdom. Sorry, best friend.
Can money trump family? Does crime really pay? Will disaster ever be completely averted?
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I have never been a fan of Spike Lee's direction. His work used to be praised for its rawness and freshness; he was "amateur" in the nicest way. To me, after 40 years, his joints are tired. His style is gimmicky, and his nuance is nonexistent. His work seems all forced flash. His career's best work has always been because of Denzel.
In "Highest 2 Lowest," Lee's direction takes center-stage ... by that I mean it blocks the view completely, covering anything that might be worthwhile. His choices at times are absolutely blinding! If it was 1985, I would call his decisions "full of potential," but, alas, it is 2025 and the only phrases coming to mind are "lacking vision" and "oh-so-weary."
In all my movie watching, the decades of feeding this passion of mine, I have never been more confused than by the musical selection and creation of Lee and composer Howard Drossin in "Highest 2 Lowest." I mean ... it is beyond comprehension. It is carelessly placed, poorly imagined and incompetently mixed. I could write 1,000 words on how terrible the music is in this movie, especially for a movie about the music industry!
The editing by Barry Alexander Brown and Allyson C. Johnson is sometimes just as baffling. From the 90's graphic wipes to the consistent repeat-cuts, it is difficult to watch and remember these are professionals at work.
I am a huge Washington fan. I spent a small fortune this past June to see him live on Broadway! He, to me, is the embodiment of empathy, an actor with unequalled abilities. I enjoyed him very much in this movie, but it certainly wasn't my favorite of his characters. A few moments felt forced... but I'll blame Lee. There was a wonderful moment near the end when Denzel and A$AP Rocky (as Yung Felon) got to show their chops; it was the best moment of the film, for sure! Speaking of A$AP Rocky, he was a worthy antagonist. In his few minutes on screen, he elevated those scenes. Another favorite of mine is Wright; the guy is steady as it goes. His performance, although limited, is absorbing. The performance of Ilfenesh Hadera as Pam was a low point for me; she was so affected and exaggerated that her screentime was a bit of a burden.
Overall, "Highest 2 Lowest" is a mess. For every good moment and solid performance, there is something egregious and hard to forgive. It is worth a watch, maybe, but it won't be easy. Prepare yourself!
"Highest 2 Lowest" can be streamed on Apple TV+.
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REPORT CARD: Highest 2 Lowest
Grade: C-
Assessment: Some courses even Denzel can't correct.