Non-Spoiler Movie Review: The Green Book (2019)

The Green Book is directed by Peter Farrelly, and it stars Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, and Linda Cardellini.

Mortensen is Tony Lip, a tough-talking Italian-American from the Bronx who is hired to be a driver for Dr Don Shirley, a world-class African-American pianist, who is about to embark on a concert tour to the Deep South. Along the way, the two men develop a bond, despite their differences and outlooks on life, whiles confronting racism and danger in an era where segregation was at its peak.

I didn’t think 2018 was a great year for movies. It was the first time where I never rewarded a movie a five-star rating. The last time I gave a movie five stars was Blade Runner 2049. That was on October 15^th 2017.

 

That has now changed.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from start to finish. It’s well worth your time, and it is a movie whose message means a lot now as it did back in the 1960s.

Mortensen and Ali were outstanding here. They just clicked, it felt like a genuine friendship between the two and the chemistry was clear for all to see. I love all the scenes they shared together and the bond they develop over the course of the movie. There’s this scene where Tony peer pressures Dr Shirley into eating fried chicken, something that he hasn’t eaten before in his life, but he ends up loving, or when Shirley helps Tony to write letters to his wife.

Tony’s character arch is by the book, but it makes sense here. He’s on a journey of self-discovery. His views on African-Americans are very stereotyped. He always has Dr Shriley’s back. He defends him at any given moments, moments such as punching a cop after he used a racial slur or threatening a restaurant owner after he refused Shirley to enter. By the end he is one of the few people who stands up for what’s right and treats him with respect in spite of the obstacle of racism.

Mahershala Ali is very good in this movie. Very charming, smart, classy, intelligent and a strong, positive role model for Tony, who ends up following in his example. While Mortensen stood for most of the comic relief, I found myself laughing the hardest from Ali’s deadpan deliveries through the character of Dr Shirley.

The screenplay is well written, and it absolutely deserves its Golden Globe Award. It’s filled with brilliant narratives about the most sensitive subjects. It takes the two main characters and elevates their individual arcs into subplots where you begin and end with two completely different personas. It’s an extremely relevant film that shows how our world evolved and fought back racism and discrimination, without ever becoming too dark or even dull or too preachy. It’s not more of the same, it’s not another movie produced exclusively to send a social message and catch some Oscar nominations. It’s a truly captivating story of how two men can change their perspective of another race or even the entire world, by actually spending time with another culture and ignoring preconceived notions.

The Green Book is a movie that reminds us that the colour of our skin doesn’t define us. It’s how we act ourselves and towards others that truly define who we are. It’s also a movie that has many layers to it – family, culture, honesty, dignity, genius, respect, acceptance, stereotypes, racism, music, class, and friendship.

Whatever your views, race, or age – this film is not ‘preachy’, but you should appreciate an honest portrayal of a difficult time & place in history.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I’m happy to finally award a movie a five-star rating.

Rating: ***** (Top of the pops)