Green Book (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
In the mood for an uplifting, soul-stirring holiday classic in-the-making? I offer you 'Green Book'; the title referring to a pamphlet published from the 1930s-60s that listed various accommodations, restaurants & rest stops in the segregated South where blacks wouldn't be turned away or harassed. 'Green Book' is a road trip comedy-drama directed by Peter Farrelly & tells the fascinating based-on-a-true story of an unlikely friendship that forges btwn. 2 very different men. Set in 1962, we 1st meet racist Italian-American Tony "Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen, as you've never seen him) a gruff bouncer from Manhattan's Copacabana nightclub who needs a paycheck after The Copa closes down for renovations.
The other man in this story is Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who is everything Tony is not: a sophisticated, educated Jamaican-American classical pianist who hires Tony Lip as a temp chauffeur/road manager for a concert tour that winds from NY through to the treacherous Deep South. Even though this job will take him away for 2 months, Tony assures his loving wife Dolores (Linda Cardellini) that it's great money - $125 per week - & he'll be home for Christmas. So foul-mouthed, food-chomping, chain-smoking Tony takes to the road in a turquoise Cadillac with calm, buttoned-up Dr. Shirley. Well-spoken Shirley tries to smooth out his driver's rough edges but, as it turns out, he has a few things to learn from bull-in-a-china-shop Tony, too. Along the way, they challenge stereotypes, overcome differences & become invaluable to each other. But the farther south they travel, the more they're forced to deal with humiliations, Jim Crow laws & racial hate crimes.
Viggo Mortensen & Mahershala Ali {fresh off his Oscar win 2 yrs. ago for Moonlight} both give wonderful performances in this road trip flick that acts as part buddy comedy, part history lesson and, sadly, part social commentary on race relations. Director Peter Farrelly, best known for silly {but effective} comedy classics like Dumb & Dumber & There's Something About Mary brings some needed humor to Tony & Dr. Shirley's interactions; allowing his actors to shine in opposing ways. Mortensen, who gained 30+ lbs. for this role, immerses himself in NY bravado; but lends lovability to a role that could've otherwise been tossed aside as a meat-head "dese dem dose" racist stereotype. Beneath the tough guy exterior is a sweet lug of a man who loves & provides for his wife & kids, steers clear of trouble, learns from mistakes, & grows to appreciate the man at his side.
Mahershala Ali is great, as well; creating a complex, nuanced character whose cool exterior & restraint hides deep emotional wounds that bubble beneath his placid surface. Said emotions come about in one explosive rain-drenched scene where the otherwise proud Shirley expresses alienation by claiming he is too black for white people & too white for black people. I love him here, & his chemistry with Mortensen is magnetic. Linda Cardellini only appears in a smattering of scenes, but her warm presence lingers. On the technical front, the cinematography, period production design & costumes bring verisimilitude to the bitter Jim Crow era. And the soundtrack is great; 1960's radio offerings mixed with Don Shirley's classical compositions.
It's difficult to revisit a time in history when gifted black artists would entertain white crowds ... yet not be able dine with them or even use the same bathroom. Don understands that once he's off stage, he's just another black man who received applause from whites. But because the script is co-penned by the son of the real Tony, the film misses an opportunity to delve deeper into the terrors of historical injustice and Shirley's intriguing personal life {exploring his sexuality, estrangement to family members, etc}. This movie could also be viewed as stereotyping both northerners & southerners. That said, 'Green Book' shines as a warm, effortless love letter to a friendship that defied a backward society, and a reminder that the world - then & now - needs more empathy, understanding & human connection.
The other man in this story is Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who is everything Tony is not: a sophisticated, educated Jamaican-American classical pianist who hires Tony Lip as a temp chauffeur/road manager for a concert tour that winds from NY through to the treacherous Deep South. Even though this job will take him away for 2 months, Tony assures his loving wife Dolores (Linda Cardellini) that it's great money - $125 per week - & he'll be home for Christmas. So foul-mouthed, food-chomping, chain-smoking Tony takes to the road in a turquoise Cadillac with calm, buttoned-up Dr. Shirley. Well-spoken Shirley tries to smooth out his driver's rough edges but, as it turns out, he has a few things to learn from bull-in-a-china-shop Tony, too. Along the way, they challenge stereotypes, overcome differences & become invaluable to each other. But the farther south they travel, the more they're forced to deal with humiliations, Jim Crow laws & racial hate crimes.
Viggo Mortensen & Mahershala Ali {fresh off his Oscar win 2 yrs. ago for Moonlight} both give wonderful performances in this road trip flick that acts as part buddy comedy, part history lesson and, sadly, part social commentary on race relations. Director Peter Farrelly, best known for silly {but effective} comedy classics like Dumb & Dumber & There's Something About Mary brings some needed humor to Tony & Dr. Shirley's interactions; allowing his actors to shine in opposing ways. Mortensen, who gained 30+ lbs. for this role, immerses himself in NY bravado; but lends lovability to a role that could've otherwise been tossed aside as a meat-head "dese dem dose" racist stereotype. Beneath the tough guy exterior is a sweet lug of a man who loves & provides for his wife & kids, steers clear of trouble, learns from mistakes, & grows to appreciate the man at his side.
Mahershala Ali is great, as well; creating a complex, nuanced character whose cool exterior & restraint hides deep emotional wounds that bubble beneath his placid surface. Said emotions come about in one explosive rain-drenched scene where the otherwise proud Shirley expresses alienation by claiming he is too black for white people & too white for black people. I love him here, & his chemistry with Mortensen is magnetic. Linda Cardellini only appears in a smattering of scenes, but her warm presence lingers. On the technical front, the cinematography, period production design & costumes bring verisimilitude to the bitter Jim Crow era. And the soundtrack is great; 1960's radio offerings mixed with Don Shirley's classical compositions.
It's difficult to revisit a time in history when gifted black artists would entertain white crowds ... yet not be able dine with them or even use the same bathroom. Don understands that once he's off stage, he's just another black man who received applause from whites. But because the script is co-penned by the son of the real Tony, the film misses an opportunity to delve deeper into the terrors of historical injustice and Shirley's intriguing personal life {exploring his sexuality, estrangement to family members, etc}. This movie could also be viewed as stereotyping both northerners & southerners. That said, 'Green Book' shines as a warm, effortless love letter to a friendship that defied a backward society, and a reminder that the world - then & now - needs more empathy, understanding & human connection.