I went into this film with no knowledge of the synopsis. I hadn't even read the movie poster fully. All I saw was Viggo Mortensen, and I that was enough to get me curious as to what Aragorn was up to these days (I'm talking Lord of the Rings of course). Looking at his co-star Mahershala Ali, I recognised him as Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes from Marvel's Luke Cage. Both of these performances were brilliant, I was intrigued to see how well these two actors would perform on what looked like a drama.
Green Book is based on a true friendship between a simple Italian who was employed by a well-educated black classical pianist to escort him on an 8-week tour of the southern states of the United States in the 1960s. Green Book refers to the real travel guide (The Negro Motorist Green Book) used between 1936 and 1966 in the segregation-era, that specified where blacks were allowed to eat, drink, shop, or sleep.
That premise alone promises a large quantity of drama, with two minority groups that were known for not getting along being trapped in a car together for an extensive period of time. It sounds like something that could be used as a buddy sitcom, and with director Peter Farrelly onboard (you may remember him from such films as Shallow Hal, There's Something About Mary, and Dumb and Dumber), you'd be forgiven for thinking this was going to be some trifling slapstick comedy.
What we get instead, is a brilliantly evocative drama is subtle, comedic elements expertly included. As far as the casting goes, the entire film is built on Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali's performances, but an honourable mention is necessary for Linda Cardellini, who had mere minutes on screen but expanded on the family aspect of Mortensen's character exceptionally well. Every action and interaction revealed more about the characters of the family, and it speaks volumes of both her acting ability and the quality of the script and direction.
Viggo Mortensen plays Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, a tough, Italian family man. Not the most educated man in the world, Frank finds himself doing a variety of hands-on jobs to provide for his family. With a prejudice against the blacks, his character finds himself having to work for a black man in order to ensure he is paid for "honest" work. With a receding hairline, and gaining 45 pounds for the film (20kgs) Mortensen embodies the role more and more perfectly with every bit of food he eats on screen.
Mahershala Ali also has a brilliant performance as the black man that has managed to get an education, money, a following, and yet finds himself still disrespected among the white community, and his wealth makes him not so welcome among the black community. While he has a much less active role in the film, his presence alone, and his influence over Mortensen's character creates an enthralling viewing.
The film does start off a little slow, but it creates the backbone for the rest of the film. Green Book is a very by-the-numbers film, but the character development that goes on at the beginning of the film is what makes this such an enticing watch. We aren't looking at a single man with prejudice overcoming that prejudice. We are watching two men whose interactions are having a positive effect on each other's personal growth, and on the people around them in their circles too.
There are obvious racial plot points and themes throughout the story, but they are but the backdrop for the film's storyline, which is focused on a burgeoning friendship. The chemistry between Ali and Mortensen carries this film and their innate sense of comedic timing ensure the audience is going to be laughing out loud with genuine mirth.
Green Book is a feel-good movie, based on a true story, that manages to have you leaving the film with a smile on your face despite the heavy themes and content. It opens the mind to the realities of equality (though admittedly it doesn't delve deep into it), and does have more than a few scenes that leave you feeling awkward when you watch such obvious prejudices in play, and yet the to-and-fro between Ali and Mortensen defuse the tension with relative ease.
A splendid heart-warming story, directed and shot tastefully.
One of my favourite films of the year so far.