Review: Green Book (2018)

Green Book (2018)

My first proper review!

Last night, I finally got the chance to see the past year's hottest ticket, Green Book, ahead of its probable multiple winnings this coming Sunday. Expectations for the film have been fairly cemented in my mind since its premiere at TIFF this past fall where it won the festival's acclaimed People's Choice Award and, since its wide release, it has gone on to garner quite unanimously positive reviews. It's in these instances that my often pessimistic self likes to buck the trend and endeavour to find fault where most have been unable to, especially with a 'wholesome' type of film such that Green Book has been categorized as.

It's for these reasons that, upon finishing Green Book, I was pleased to find that I had enjoyed the film and that it had met the high expectations I had for it. Yes, the movie is, in fact, quite the wholesome story and one who's plot does not contain much surprise. However, when a film has a tight and entertaining script, deft and confident direction, and, most importantly, is secured with two supreme performances by the multi-talented Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, well, then you've got yourself a very fine movie.

Green Book is based on the true story of Tony Vallelonga (Mortensen) and Dr. Don Shirley (Ali). Shirley is a renowned black pianist who hires Vallelonga, an Italian and fairly intolerant (aka racist) bouncer, to be his driver for a concert tour through the deep south. In the film, the pair of Shirley and Vallelonga make for a classic 'odd couple' setup that serves as the basis for much of the film's comedy as well as many of its dramatic beats. The pair exist as inverted reflections of one another. Shirley is a wealthy upper-class classical pianist possessing multiple doctorate degrees. Yet, he is black. Vallelonga, on the other hand, is lower-class, poor and uneducated, recently laid off from his job as bouncer at a club. And he is white. As this takes place in 1960's USA, an incongruity exists whereby each man is living the commonly-perceived life of the other's race. It is this character composition that is most compelling.

In every sense of it, Mortensen and Ali elevate the film to greater heights than it perhaps would have reached with two different leads. (I couldn't help imagining the film in the vein of director, Farrelly's, 90's outings where it would have been played as much more of a straight comedy with two less dramatically capable leads.) Mortensen, capable as ever, is the everyman in the film and, in a fun change, brings much of the film's comedy to life. With his performance as Dr. Shirley, Ali continues his rocket ascent into the highest tiers of cinema acting. The vulnerability that he brings to Dr. Shirley makes it hard to look away from any scene that he is in. Shirley is a tortured musician, as many of the greats are. His misidentity within the world, neither fitting properly into black or white life in the 1960's of America, leads to anger, reclusiveness and alcohol. Even though many of the confrontations that occur when the pair enter the South are, unfortunately, predictable in a film with a setting and plot such as this one, they are effective and, at times, still remain jarring. The story of the 'sympathetic racist' who goes through a process of self-realization is not a new one but, in this day and age, it remains relevant and, just maybe, it'll strike home a message for the ones who need to hear it most.

In a year where the output of high quality films has, in my opinion, been a bit lacking (a topic which I will likely write about prior to this Sunday's awards), I am comfortable rooting for a film like Green Book to be recognized at this year's Oscars. Aside from possibly The Favourite, I would be happy seeing Green Book take home the Academy's most coveted Best Picture award.