FILM REVIEW: Highest 2 Lowest Starring Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright

Still Got It

Spike Lee hates Boston. Like, really hates it. So much so, he is willing to break the fourth wall and tell that to you straight to your face. If you are familiar with Mr. Lee’s work, this is no surprise. A director known for wide-angle shots with faces confronting your own, it is this sort of “I do not give a f***” attitude that has garnered him praise, controversy, and everything in between (on and off the screen). In Highest 2 Lowest, his 5th joint with Denzel Washington, Spike shows that when let loose, he remains one of the best in the business. The start is rough, but once the story climbs itself into the driver’s seat, it becomes one of the year’s most Solid films.

Denzel Washington is great in this role. He is a master of pulling you in with his charisma as Denzel, then completing his projects with you saying goodbye to the characters he portrays. His Mr. King is ready to take mountains down for his legacy while also competing with himself for his own compassion. Even when some of the secondary characters are poorly written, Washington keeps everything afloat and away from “ridiculous” territory. That is great news because when the film starts swinging, it hits singles, doubles, and triples left and right. This story of greed, legacy, family, and power leads to some surprisingly emotional avenues against the backdrop of a harsh New York that you either love or love to hate. Either way, it is hard to stop watching.

Washington plays Mr. David King, a powerful music producer with the “best ears in the business”. Amassing a new empire through decades of hard work, King is on the precipice of purchasing majority share in the company he works for. Plans abruptly change when his son Trey (a good Aubrey Joseph) and Trey’s friend Kyle (Elijah Wright, son of Jeffrey…also in the film!) are kidnapped for ransom by an unknown criminal. In order for them to be let go, King has to hand over millions of dollars. Moral conflict arises as King has to determine what the right thing to do is, and will it tarnish a legacy he has worked so hard to build up?

This is where the film really starts. The moral conundrums begin to blend in with the shots of New York City, heightening the drama to a notable degree. The beginning plays very much like a soap opera drama, and I was unsure if the rest of the film would catch up with subtlety. Some acting choices are questionable, but you realize this is all setting up for the main course. Luckily, it does not deter from how entertaining it all is. Moments with the likes of Rick Fox bring a smile and lightheartedness the film needs. It also helps when you have supporting players like Jeffrey Wright in the film. Another no-brainer, he plays Paul Christopher, King’s great friend and father to Kyle. Christopher gets into King’s face at exactly the correct times. Wright adds good layers to the character, making us happy he is the one next to King the entire time.

Spike turns the atmosphere right on in New York City, and it works. Many have said this is his love letter to his home, and while watching this film at the Spike Lee Cinema (Alamo Drafthouse – Downtown Brooklyn), it is hard to ignore that this city loves him too. The city hides power, but if you work with it, it helps you find the power within yourself. It will break you down, pick you back up, and leave you alone all in a day’s work. All the while making you confront millions of others every single day. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is a wild ride if you let it take you to where you might need to go. And, as Spike Lee reminds us, it is not Boston.