Green Book (2018) review - Movie Thoughts (Chapter 10) 🚗

 Hello everyone,

Today's post places the spotlight on a Best Picture Academy Award winner. Controversial at the time, I didn't have much of an opinion because I wasn't able to watch the film. Now that I've seen it, you'll see what side of the fence I ended up on....

(**disclaimer: the following thoughts are 100% my opinion, you do not have to agree with them - film is inherently subjective and everyone's perspective is valid! Also, there are probably spoilers in the following, read at your own risk. Now onto some thoughts....**)

Source: IMDB

Witty and scenic; this story of an Italian-American bouncer taking on the role of driver for a talented African-American musician as he tours the South won Best Picture at the 2019 Academy Awards. Was this the right call? No. But is Green Book still a good film with heart and merit? Absolutely.

Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali give magnetic performances in the leading roles of family man with a tough exterior Tony Lip and sophisticated and lonely pianist Dr. Donald Shirley respectively. They carried the narrative in equal measure; nailing the specificities of their own characters amazingly and strengthening the bond of friendship with easy chemistry. Director Peter Farrelly’s ingenious casting choices brought the film from a simply curious concept to a compelling experience with some unexpected grit and soul. Dolores is also a gorgeous and wholesome housewife in a strong supporting performance by Linda Cardellini.

The script by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Farrelly was well written within the friendship-focused parameters the film setup for itself. Both Tony and Dr Shirley are characterized brilliantly, and their banter is genuinely very funny. There’s real joy and candour embedded in their dialogue. Despite the obvious Hollywood gloss that spotlights a nice cookie-cutter happy ending framework, the dialogue works in creating an optimistic warmth for friendship and family ties.

A deliberately feel-good and funny tone in the writing meant there was plenty of moments for laughter, smiley and gooey moments. A not-so-subtle nod to the deliciousness of Kentucky fried chicken, Shirley’s issues with Tony’s manners and the Cold War references with the Russian cellist were all full of chuckles. It does have a soul rooted in comradery and kindness that is easy to buy into without much work.

But the darker moments are also there because this is 1960's America where segregation is law and racism is too common. Although there are constant reminders from the writers that they aren’t completely tone-deaf to the cultural struggles, it does veer dangerously into ‘white saviour’ complex territory. Tony is positioned as a romanticized hero for treating Shirley as a human against the backdrop of a broken and hurtful Southern culture. Cultural fractures within American society in relation to attitudes of New York City vs Mississippi suggests the presence of another layer of nuance, but the almost comedic spin on the story complicates the tone of reception in a confusing manner. Audience guilt for enjoying the narrative as written when they know underneath it all it’s not that easy to eradicate awful societal and cultural racism shows a clear glossing over of the darker, mature themes of the time period. How individuals reconcile that for themselves will determine the lasting impact of Farrelly’s film.

It’s essentially a mature buddy road trip movie with stellar banter that skirts around the heavier reality of social and racial politics instead of trying to make any kind of inspirational statement. It’s obvious it didn’t set out to be the gritty commentary fellow Best Picture nominee BlackKklansman (2018) was, but with the film revolving around a gay black man touring America’s deep south, that actually might be Farrelly’s greatest hesitation. These issues look like they’re being used as tools to highlight the comradery between Tony and Dr Shirley, and even amp up Tony’s good character, rather than constructively facing the issues and dissecting their nuance. This was especially true in relation to the brief discussion of homosexuality that needed more fuel to truly be impactful, and the film had room for it without losing the light-hearted tone.

However, a particularly resonant and climactic moment suggests an implicit emotional struggle that needed more material to truly explore its very important merits. Shirley’s line “if I’m not black enough, if I’m not white enough, and if I’m not man enough, then how will I ever be enough?!”; delivered while Shirley and Tony are standing in the pouring rain is such a piercing flash of pure vulnerability. With tears streaming down his face, Ali delivers it with the right balance of frustration and heartbreak and seals the deal on his Academy Award winning performance. Audience have seen the shower moment, the bathroom moment, the musical expectations. No matter where we come from or who we are, acceptance for every part of ourselves shouldn’t be conditional, yet at Shirley’s breaking point here there is such a relatable slash of insecurity that cuts through the banter to a deep place of emotional turmoil.

Green Book is a solid road-trip film that visited familiar territory thematically with plenty of laughs; yet there was nothing particularly groundbreaking about the film other than showcasing Mortensen and Ali’s enormous talent. With the shadow of a white saviour complex hanging over its head, it had the potential to do more with the nuances of the cultural issues.

7.5/10, 3.5 STARS

Thanks for reading,

Love and buckets of deep fried chicken, Emily 🚗