Denzel Washington had no reason to suspect that Monday night’s Cannes Film Festival premiere of Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” would turn into an all-time moment for him. The actor barely had time to fly in on a private jet,

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have walked a long road together. The director and actor’s collaboration has run for 35 years, starting with “Mo’Better Blues” and including the seminal “Malcolm X.” But one thing they’ve never done is ascend the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival as comrades in arms.

There’s no sufficient way of explaining what it’s like to be around Spike Lee, but his new film, “Highest 2 Lowest” comes pretty close. The main character, played by Denzel Washington, is a Knicks fan who won’t tolerate Celtics green in his house.