Film Review – Highest 2 Lowest

“Highest 2 Lowest” isn’t meant to be an original film from director Spike Lee. It’s a remake of a beloved 1963 Akira Kurosawa picture and an adaptation of a 1959 novel. It’s familiar work for those who’ve enjoyed the story before, but Lee is utterly determined to make his own way with the tale, joined by screenwriter Alan Fox. The effort maintains Lee’s DNA throughout, finding the helmer making one of the best features of his career with this examination of a kidnapping and response involving a record label executive already facing all kinds of difficulties on the job. Lee reunites with actor Denzel Washington for their fifth creative collaboration, and the men submit a consistently surprising and dramatically exciting endeavor that finds the helmer firing on all cylinders once again, finding his way through family ties and business trials in unique ways, reconnecting with his artistic soul. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com