![]() Collaborating with production designer Tim Galvin and cinematographer Sean Porter, the director also takes moviegoers straight back to the 1960s, drawing viewers in with its tone and aesthetic from the opening minutes. He tones down his usual sensibilities, with all of the comedy feeling natural and in-character. A number of clever callbacks and payoffs peppered throughout the script also ensure no scene goes to waste, as the film cruises through its runtime.įarrelly specializes in gross-out humor that doesn't work for everyone, but he shows a refreshing constraint here, handling potentially sensitive subject matter with the grace and care it deserves. The writing team deserves credit for blending comedy and drama, as Green Book is never short on levity, yet still shines a spotlight on the rather serious and frustrating racial prejudices that were so prevalent in the segregation era. While Nick didn't accompany his father and Shirley on the tour, the script no doubt takes inspiration from Tony's stories about his time in the South. Tony Lip's son Nick Vallelonga is one of three credited co-writers (along with Farrelly and Brian Hayes Currie), which helps the film find its crucial sense of authenticity. There's no denying audiences should be able to plot out the narrative's trajectory in their heads, but that doesn't diminish the journey in the slightest. not to mention mind-blowing music.After its run at the festival circuit, Green Book drew several comparisons to Best Picture winner Driving Miss Daisy, leading some viewers to find it a bit safe and conventional in its storytelling and themes. Really, the entire movie is a love letter of sorts - to a friendship that's a reminder that the world needs more empathy and human connection. Shirley) increasingly poetic love letters from the road. Especially considering that viewers meet nearly all of Tony's large Italian family, including his more open-minded wife, Dolores ( Linda Cardellini), to whom he writes (with help from Dr. Shirley's personal life isn't explored via more than a couple of references to his estranged brother and a failed marriage and one poignant monologue about not fitting into either white or black society. It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity that Dr. Shirley, who's infinitely more self-aware - and also more of a mystery. While Tony isn't in the role of the dreaded "white savior," Green Book's story is more about him than Dr. Shirley refuses to lower himself via vulgarity or even by listening to popular music (he can't tell Aretha Franklin from Chubby Checker), and he fully understands that the moment he steps off stage, he's just another black man to the white audiences who moments earlier applauded his talent. It's not easy to revisit a time in history when gifted black artists could entertain all-white crowds but not sit or dine among them - or even use the same bathroom. Both portrayals are award-worthy, as are Ali's musical performances (he went through extensive piano training to pull them off). Mortensen, who reportedly gained more than 30 pounds for the role, immerses himself in showy Bronx bravado, while Ali is a picture of nuanced restraint, with plenty of emotion simmering beneath the surface. Shirley's interactions he allows the actors to shine in completely opposing ways. Director Peter Farrelly, best known for raunchy comedies like There's Something About Mary, brings out the humor in Tony and Dr. Mortensen and Ali both give fabulous performances in this feel-good road-trip drama that's part buddy comedy, part history lesson, and part social commentary on friendship and race. And the story is a timely reminder of how, just a few decades ago, there were whole parts of the country where segregation kept African Americans from fully participating in civic life. But the film's messages about empathy and the danger of prejudice and stereotypes are important and thought-provoking. There's also quite a bit of language (including "s-t," the "N" word, and more) and drinking/smoking. ![]() Characters get beaten and threatened (including with a shotgun), there's a fistfight, and two men are handcuffed after being caught engaging in sexual activity (nothing sensitive shown). ![]() Called by some a "race-flipped Driving Miss Daisy," the crowd-pleasing story explores how the two men had to abide by the titular Green Book, a "traveling while black" guide to restaurants and accommodations that allowed black guests in the '60s. Parents need to know that Green Book is a drama set in the 1960s about a racist Italian American man ( Viggo Mortensen) who takes a temporary job chauffeuring an acclaimed black pianist ( Mahershala Ali) during his concert tour of the Midwest and Deep South. ![]()
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