We got a winner here!
Directed by Peter Farrelly, Green Book, starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, tells the wonderful true story of an African-American pianist, a gritty Italian-American, and the unexpected friendship they form. Taking place in 1962, club bouncer Tony "Lip," played by Mortensen, takes a job as the driver of the incredibly talented and intellectual musician Dr. Don Shirley. While on a tour in the deep south of the United States, the two characters develop an unbreakable bond through their experiences.
This film is a great number of things. First and foremost, it's funny. The character of Tony "Lip" and the people surrounding him in his hometown of the Bronx provide constant laughs throughout the film, capitalizing on the Italian-American stereotypes. These stereotypes, despite being accurate for the most part, do get blown out of proportion at points, but Italian-Americans have been dealing with racism since they came over here. All jokes aside, the supporting characters are excellent in the film. The standouts among Tony's family are his wife played by Linda Cardellini and his wise-cracking relative Johnny played by the infamous Sebastian Maniscalco. Everything regarding Tony and his relationship with his family fits in smoothly with the overall narrative.
Aside from being funny, this film is heartwarming. The relationship that develops over the course of the movie between Tony and the doctor is extremely satisfying. The chemistry between Ali and Mortensen is outstanding, especially during their back and forths. I'm expecting Oscar nods for both of them for this one. Mahershala Ali continues to establish himself as one of the best actors today, delivering a very layered performance and nailing the reclusive attitude of the character. Most of the character development, however, is evident in Tony's journey. Tony at the beginning of the film is your prototypical tough-guy, but as the film goes on he really starts to get broken down by way of the situations he finds himself in. This movie is very much a film about learning from each other. Both Tony and the doctor learn lessons from the way they approach these situations and by the end of the film the change within them is felt. Harkening back to the idea of heartwarming, this movie serves as a great movie for the holidays as the ending of the film really sums up what the Christmas season is all about.
Last but not least, this film is real. When you strip away the laughs and smiles, which there are plenty of, Green Book deals with real issues in a way that is very refreshing. Without giving anything away, this film tackles the issues of race, sexuality, and self-discovery beautifully. Critics will probably come at this film for simply brushing over some of these topics, but I found the exploration, or lack thereof, to be extremely effective. Farrelly doesn't allow the tough subjects addressed within the film to bog down the overall narrative. Me for one, wasn't going into this movie with a desire to see these issues tackled in depth and I felt that the subtlety in which they are addressed is powerful in its own right. What is at the heart of this film is the relationship between Tony and Dr. Shirley. Everything outside of their relationship obviously plays a part, but in the end its just background noise that helps them grow as. individuals. This leads me to my next point.
This year also saw the release of Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, a film which tackles many of the same issues as the film at hand. Like Green Book, I went into BlacKkKlansman expecting a fun and emotional ride that offers a sense of unification in a time of much controversy. The film that I saw, however, was one of division and at some times hatred. No, I don't like the KKK nor do a like when a film fails to be an inclusive one. Green Book represents exactly what BlacKkKlansman should have been. These two polar opposites deal with similar issues with very different approaches. Unlike Green Book, BlacKkKlansman at times serves as political propaganda aimed at an administration not even around during the setting of the movie. As a white man of Italian and Irish descent, and someone who is not a racist, I felt like I shouldn't have been in the movie theatre watching BlacKkKlansman. The feeling of exclusion while immersed in a film should never be something felt by anyone in the audience, whether they be white, black, gay, straight, Christian, or Muslim. Film is an expressive art from, yes, but it is one that should be used to bring people together, not tear them apart. Unlike BlacKkKlansman, Green Book felt like a movie that everyone could enjoy and learn something from. A quote from Dr. Shirley in the film really hit home for me, but rather than butcher it by attempting to remember the exact words, the idea was that change isn't achieved through violence its achieved with courage, and dignity and courage always prevail. The reason I bring up BlacKkKlansman and this quote is to make the point as to why I believe Green Book perfectly exemplifies this quote and stands as a perfect example of encouraging change in the right ways. While BlacKkKlansman deals with these issues by encouraging riots and protests, the arming of the oppressed, and division, Green Book tells us to simply learn. It tells us that change and acceptance will come in time if we simply listen to each other rather than cause more and more conflict. That's enough for my rant, apologies for turning this review sideways... Actually, no. From the words of the King of Dublin, "I want to take this chance to apologize to absolutely nobody!"
In conclusion, Green Book retells a heartwarming true story that serves as a means of unification. With great performances from Mortensen and Ali, and the brilliant juggling of laughs, smiles, and tears by Peter Farrelly, Green Book stands out as one of the best films of the year and a something EVERYONE should see. Go see it! Merry Christmas to all and all a good night!
My Score: B+
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