Watching "Highest 2 Lowest" can feel like unequal parts of vintage Spike Lee and a some semi-90's thriller vibe. I recently saw "High and Low" by Kurosawa, a pulse-pounding thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and also had strong character portrayals amidst its then groundbreaking forensic analysis. Spike Lee's lusciously filmed remake "Highest 2 Lowest" is not in the same vein and that is only because Lee has divided his movie into two halves and some of it is flawless and some of it feels off-centered and doesn't flow evenly.
The movie begins with Denzel Washington as David King, a record label executive whose own music label is on the wane. The opening shots of the film show his penthouse overlooking New York City and you can already feel the wealth causing your eyes to bulge - you sense that this guy has let wealth get in the way of imagination (he also has a home in Sag Harbor). Ilfenesh Hadera as Pam King, David's tender wife, senses economic trouble with David who is making a risky move: he wishes to gain majority control of his music company before any rivals attempt to buy him out. As King is trying to make deals employing a vision of focusing on the music and less on the green, his son, Trey (Aubrey Joseph), is kidnapped. The vociferous kidnapper demands a ransom of $17.5 million in Swiss 1,000-franc notes or the son will not be returned. After acquiring the ransom funds (money King needs for his hopeful record deal), Trey returns yet it was actually his best friend, Kyle (Elijah Wright), who was kidnapped! The ransom still holds for the return of Kyle - Kyle is Paul Christopher's son. Paul (Jeffrey Wright) is King's driver and close friend who sees a situation spiraling out of control. The problem is that King is reluctant to pay the ransom because Kyle is not his son. If you have seen "High and Low," much of this plot will seem familiar (and it has been remade a few times since). It is no surprise that King relents and pays the ransom.
Just when the action centers on the money bag being delivered between train stops to the anonymous caller, "Highest 2 Lowest" fails to maintain the same level of excitement it started with. The forensic and detective work is practically abandoned in this version and the class system is just casually dealt with. With a more attentive screenwriter, perhaps Lee himself, they could've taken this story and updated it to our modern-day class warfare. If you think about it, based on Spike Lee's past films dealing with the poor or working class, he would've had a field day with this material. Instead we are saddled with too much of the business practices of the music business and some of it is intriguing but it doesn't mesh with the thriller aspects. Either Lee should've made an amazing film about the cutthroat music business (something akin to TV's "Empire") and left the suspense plot out or made a full blown suspense film.
"Highest 2 Lowest" is still curiously entertaining with charismatic performances by all, including Denzel Washington who always embodies every character he plays with the finesse of a true and honest actor. Denzel's scenes with Aubrey Joseph as his son are involving and intimately portrayed (especially the potent moment when Trey curses out his father). The musical sequences are mind-blowing and hold one's interest, especially the finale. ASAP Rocky is also a phenomenal performer and rivets our attention, plus holding his own against Denzel. The film is just not electrifying to watch, not like some of Lee's other notable films, and the whole affair feels muted and has scant emotional resonance.
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