Green Book

Plot

In 1962, Tony Vallelonga, an Italian American bouncer at a nightclub finds himself out of work while the club goes under renovations. He is hired as a driver by an upper classed African American musician, Dr Donald Shirley.

Shirley, a brilliant pianist along with his band are touring the ‘deep south’, and require Vallelonga’s ability to ‘handle himself’ in tough situations, especially in such prejudiced locations.

Along the way they begin to discover each other’s lives, and grow a friendship despite their differences – and their similarities.

Direction

From prolific comedy film maker Peter Farrelly comes a mesmerising film that shows the realism of racial prejudice against African Americans in the early 1960s. Farrelly is able to put both drama and comedy in place so perfectly.

Cast/Characters

Exceptionally well cast, with Viggo Mortensesn as the Italian American ‘Tony Lip’ – who comes from the working class. Having to fight for every meal, and every bill.

Mahershala Ali plays Dr Shirley, the musical prodigy who struggles to understand his own identity, and is shown to be an almost depressed alcoholic at times.

Linda Cardellini is brilliant, but a little underused as Tony’s loving wife Dolores.

Screenplay/Setting/Themes

The primary theme is of course the racial prejudice that Shirley must contend with as a black man in the 1960s, and there are several notable moments within the film (not being able to eat in the restaurant of the venue he is about to be the guest of honour).

There is also tension between the two men from the outset. Lip himself has prejudice towards black men at the start of the film (where he throws drinking glasses away that two plumbers used in his home).

However as the movie goes on they grow a friendship, following many deep conversations and interactions with locals include Shirley’s ‘bathroom’ moment, the arrest in the sundown town and their fight in the rain (which I feel won Ali his Oscar following his confession of being ‘more white than black’), and Shirley’s persistence for; quiet time, no smoking.

This leads them to give banter towards each other (such as Shirley allowing him to display his ‘lucky rock’). One other theme that is significant is food, with Lip eating in almost every scene (with some comedic moments such as KFC in Kentucky, hotdog eating and folding a pizza).

Two very different scenes I found memorable for different reasons were the ‘breakdown’ scene – where the farmers watch Shirley have a door opened for him, and be driven off by a white man, and the leaving the ‘black’ bar at the end and Lip stopping the potential mugging.

Score/Soundtrack

As one of the primary themes is music, this was front and centre within the film. Shirley is seen playing many times throughout the film, and while it is not Ali himself playing, the scenes shown are breathtaking.

There is also mention of prolific artists of the time such as Little Richard and Aretha Franklin – who Lip loves, and Shirley had never heard.

Overall

Winning three Oscars (Screenplay, Picture and Supporting Actor) this was a triumph in film making, and a joy to review. While some of the themes were tough to watch, the comedic breakdown was well done, and a pleasant break from the seriousness of the themes. Near perfect in every way. An easy top mark.

5/5