Green Book

GREEN BOOK (15)

D: Peter Farrelly

Universal/Dreamworks/Participant Media/Cinetic/Innisfree (Jim Burke, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga & Nick Wechsler)

USA 🇺🇸 2018

130 mins

Drama/Comedy/Biopic

W: Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie & Peter Farrelly

DP: Sean Porter

Ed: Patrick J. Don Vito

Mus: Kris Bowers

Viggo Mortensen (Tony 'Lip' Vallelonga), Mahershala Ali (Dr. Don Shirley), Linda Cardellini (Dolores Vallelonga), Dimitar Marinov (Oleg), Mike Hatton (George)

A role reversal, of sorts, on 1989's Driving Miss Daisy, starring Viggo Mortensen as a brash Italian-American who accepts a job as a chauffeur to Dr. Don Shirley, an African-American jazz pianist who is about to embark on a concert tour of the Deep South in the 1960's.

The title of the film is taken from The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guidebook for black motorists to help them find establishments that would welcome them in the racially-segregated American states, and although racial acceptance is a major issue in the story, the plot focuses more on the friendship which develops between the two men from very different backgrounds and classes, with a spin that it's caucasian man from a humble background, whilst the African-American has wealth, yet both are unprivileged in different ways.

The film certainly has its heart in the right place, but has faced some backlash for making light of important issues. Personally, I thought it did an excellent job balancing poignant subject matter, the identity of factual characters and lighthearted comedy. 

A big hitter at awards season, winning the Golden Globe for Best Film (Musical or Comedy) and nominated for Best Picture at all the majors. I agree with the accolades, as it's certainly amongst my top 10 movies of 2018.

8/10