The director brought his latest collaboration with Denzel Washington, “Highest 2 Lowest,” to the festival, but he really wanted to talk basketball.
Few things could pull Spike Lee away from a courtside seat for the New York Knicks, but the Cannes Film Festival trumps all.
Lee is in France to support his new film, “Highest 2 Lowest,” which means he’ll miss the opening games of the Knicks’ playoff series. Still, he has left no doubt where his heart really lies. At the premiere on Monday, the director paid tribute to his beloved basketball team by wearing a suit in the Knicks’ signature blue and orange. He doubled down at the news conference on Tuesday, showing up in Knicks gear from head to toe.
“Knicks in how many?” a journalist asked him.
Lee didn’t hesitate: “We only need four.”
The director said that even during the production of “Highest 2 Lowest,” which stars Denzel Washington as a wealthy New Yorker whose son is involved in a kidnapping, his filming schedule revolved around the Knicks.
“When people know the Knicks are playing that day, they know they get to come home early,” he joked. “They’re calling home like, ‘Honey, I’ll be home for dinner tonight!’”
To the chagrin of the baffled French news media, basketball came up again and again in the hourlong news conference. At one point, the director took a question from journalist Chaz Ebert, who introduced herself by noting that she hailed “from the home of the Chicago Bulls.”
Lee perked up, ready to do battle. “Can I ask you a question?” he responded. “When’s the last time Michael Jordan played?”
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Source: Movies - nytimes.com
