Green Book

Green Book 2019

Directed by Peter Farrelly, one half of the bother duo that for around 2 decades brought us comedies such as Dumb and Dumber, Shallow Hal and Stuck on You, along with many others. This is his debut as a solo director and a far cry from those films.

Based on a true story and set in 1962, Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), known to his friends as Tony Lip, is an Italian-American bouncer who (while the nightclub he works in shuts for renovation) is hired by a record company to drive celebrated pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) on his concert tour of the Deep South. They must use the “Negro Motorist Green Book” a guide to the few diners and hotels that will accommodate black people.

This isn’t a new formula. It’s a buddy road trip movie, two men -one black,one white, from different walks of life are thrust together under unusual circumstances and we see how they learn from each other and grow.

But this isn’t your average buddy road trip movie. The performances from the two leads take it way, way beyond that. Mortensen is at the top of his game here as the bruiser with a heart of gold who has a big appetite and even bigger love for his family. Ali continues to excel in everything I see him in, he brings elegance and vulnerability to a role that could have very easily just been overshadowed by Mortensen’s character.

Viggo Mortensen has the main credit but much like A Star Is Born, I see this film as having 2 leads, both him and Mahershala Ali carry the weight of this film equally. The banter between the two as they make their way across country is a delight to watch.

Their cultural differences come to a head in a scene by the side of the road, which I think was supposed the emotional height of the film, but for me there was another scene earlier in the 3rd act that had me feeling the most…… look out for the exchange in a hotel hallway.

Green Book is a brilliantly put together film that had me hooked all the way through; zero wasted scenes, amazing heartfelt performances, a top class and surprisingly, often funny script. I expect Oscar nominations for both actors in a few weeks time.
Go see this people, It’s a class film.