When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller “High and Low,” now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City. -Synopsis (A24)

Y’all, what can I say!? It’s NOT a good day when you realize that even Lee (director) can be disappointing! We just expect a LOT more from talents like him. Though there are segments of the film that are well-done, it does NOT creative a cohesive whole. Aside from Washington and Jeffrey Wright, most of the other actors were lackluster (or distracting- in the case of Law & Order: SVU alum Dean Winters). Also, they didn’t have much to work w/ when it came to characterization or dialogue. There was a LOT of set-up (w/ random transition shots), the mood was stagnant (aside from the 3rd act), and the soundtrack was loud/unsuited to the story. The “Boomer tone” (as one critic commented) will NOT appeal to younger gens. I still need to see the (original) film directed by Kurosawa; it’s streaming on HBO MAX.

There is little tension, which left the (small) audience I saw it w/ last month looking bored or mildly annoyed. I don’t have Apple TV+, so went to see it on the big screen (which is my preference- I’m old school). Movie theaters are closing ALL over the US; Hollywood (most likely) can’t woo back its (pre-pandemic) audience. In a struggling economy, even hardcore cinephiles are going to theaters less… and less. On a positive note, I think A$AP Rocky has potential; maybe he will work to strengthen his acting. As Roger Ebert said, rappers (being performers already), can project confidence onscreen. If you haven’t done so before, go check out earlier Spike Lee joints. You will NOT be disappointed!

[1] It’s difficult to take this movie in, or take it seriously. Ironically about a music mogul, Spike uses a continuous, distracting, misaligned, wildly inappropriate, cheesy score by Lawrence Manchester.

[2] I’ll rate this movie a 5 out of 10 due to the simple fact that the script is horrible despite Denzel Washington and Jeffery Wright carrying the movie, everyone else seemed like rookie actors who made the movie feel like a made for BET or Lifetime movie. I also have no idea why this movie went over 2 hours…

[3] Visually, the movie has its moments – colorful, energetic shots and a strong New York vibe – but that doesn’t make up for the weak emotional core. The pacing was uneven, and instead of being drawn into the drama, I often felt detached, watching a performance rather than being immersed in the story.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews