Green Book
[Devin Dayley]
Year Released: 2018
Director: Peter Farrelly
Stars:
Viggo Mortensen
Mahershala Ali
Linda Cardellini
General Summary:
Tony Lip (Mortensen), who is a stereotypical Italian-American, working-class, family man, is hired as the driver to Dr. Donald Shirley, a world-class pianist, as they travel the American South during the 1960’s.
Review:
This is a film, not a movie. I feel I should make that distinction. I make the difference between film and movie by looking at if a cinematic experience is purely to entertain me or if it teaches me something or enhances my life in some way. If it is meant for entertainment only, it is a movie, to me, and if it teaches me something, it is a film. I was taught about friendship, I learned that the human connection is not determined by race or ethnicity. I learned history, about the racism towards black people, but not only blacks, Italians and Irishmen. I learned about music- the difference between classical music and the “popular” music Dr. Shirley played. The film just taught me a lot about the human experience and I really appreciated it for that.
Let’s start by talking about one of the standout performances that seems to have everyone talking when they see this film. I’m talking, of course, about Mahershala Ali. He is spectacular at playing role to Dr. Donald Shirley! He plays it with such grace yet with such depth of character. I have seen this film twice, so far, and I have thought both times that he seems kind of silly and ridiculous in the first half of the film, but in the second half, when Dr. Shirley is in the south and his sanity if really tested, you really start to feel for his character and feel as if you know him because of some of that ridiculous acting and choices he has made through the first half of the film.
When we talk about actors who gave stellar performances, I would be remiss if I did not mention Viggo Mortensen. I absolutely think he nailed his role and is not getting the credit he deserves. Yes, he has been nominated for a lot of awards for playing this part, but has not really won much of anything. And yes, there may be some controversy over some racist comments he may have made, but in the film he plays a big softie, and I think that is how he is in real life, a big softie. Really, I think the whole cast is great and should be applauded for the great work they did on this film.
Something that I was really impressed with was design of this film. The set decorators do an incredible job at transporting you back to the 1960’s. Especially toward the beginning, when they are in New York City, I really feel like I am in New York in that time period and I love it.
One thing that is very sad and that I love for different reasons than the set design is the juxtaposition of the slaves working in the field and Dr. Shirley, who is watching them and being chauffeured around the south by a white man. There is so much difference between the two parties, obviously, but also there seems to be a sense of sameness, like the slaves are trapped but also so is he, because he is constantly trying to restrain himself from getting worked up about the inequality of black people and white people and he IS in the south, so he is literally trapped and constrained as to what he can legally do and not do.
There has been a lot of debate about how closely this film comes to telling the truth. To me, that doesn’t matter because 99% of films out there do not accurately depict someone’s life or circumstances as they actually were. This was one of the best films of 2018, in my opinion, and there isn’t anyone who will change my mind.
There are so many films out there that shine a negative light on the relationship between white people and black people, and so many films that I leave thinking man, white people are the worst. So ignorant and rude. Why can’t some people just get along? I did not feel that with this film. I left feeling like while there were and are rude, ignorant white people, there were/are people like Tony Lip, who are kind of ignorant but can be shaped and molded into upstanding people.
I would rate this film a 9.5/10.
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