HIGHEST 2 LOWEST: The Nanar of Spike Lee arrives on Apple TV+ (Critique)

The director’s reunion with Denzel Washington, 20 years after Inside Man, give birth to a distressing film, presented out of competition last May in Cannes.

Fifth collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington (after Mo ‘Better Blues,, Malcolm X,, He Got Game And Inside Man),, Highest 2 Lowest Arrives in France directly in streaming on Apple TV+ (available in France via MyCanal). Selected in Cannes, it was very well received by international criticism and displays an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes. A great mystery for the writing of the first … our criticism:

After his presentation on Monday evening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the new Spike Lee was shown to the press this Tuesday morning. And like the pouring rain that fell on Cannes, it’s a cold shower. Remake of a Kurosawa film, Highest 2 Lowest is a pure nanar, distressing but therefore also a little enjoyable.

The little Buñuel room, where the film was screened, welcomed this thriller produced by Apple and A24 with dismay. He tells the kidnapping of the son of a great New York music producer camped by Denzel Washington. At least it was the plan of the kidnappers, who in fact captured his best friend, the son of the old friend and driver of his father (Jeffrey Wright). Too bad, the ransom remains the same: 17.5 million Swiss francs in cutting of 1000.

We too, we felt taken hostage by Highest 2 Lowest. Many journalists have left the room. We held, assistant to this sad and endless spectacle (2h13 on the clock). And we laughed a lot, let’s face it. But especially against the film. A failure in the big widths, worthy of the small productions shot in the chain by Tyler Perry, even a sketch of Key & Peele in the last part, which turns to the parody (involuntary?) Of Blaxploitation.

Everyone plays atrociously badly in this rereading of Between heaven and hellincluding Denzel Washington, who makes boxes in his role as cheerful magnate, chaining the remarks of big boomer on the music industry, Internet or AI. On a freewheel, he continues the hugs and annoying shadowboxings. And, when he has to decide to risk his fortune to save the son of his Bro, he addresses the big black figures of music (James Brown, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin) supervised in his luxurious penthouse.

Perhaps we have missed the second degree of Highest 2 Lowestand his clearly Too Much tone, with his big winks well supported (the rapper-bookmer embodied by A $ AP Rocky lives in the apartment… A24). Through this film, Spike Lee also signs a hollow self -portrait of his own career, interesting but a little vain. The problem is also the context of the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival in which it has been discovered.

Thierry Frémaux recognized it half-word. The arrival of the film was linked to the presence of Denzel Washington, who received a surprise golden palm before the projection in the light. With the promise of a very glamorous red carpet, where Rihanna, huge pop and wife star of A $ AP Rocky, caused a sensation.

As for Spike Lee, if he has experienced real highest in his filmography, especially at the beginning (Do the right thing,, Jungle fever,, Malcolm X…), He has just just reached his Lowest.