Green Book (Review)
Green Book is One of the Best Movies of 2018.
It seems fitting that one of the more heartfelt and well-made movies of 2018 would be hitting theaters during the holiday season. It’s the time of year when we all try to spread a little cheer and goodwill, luckily Green Book is a movie that reminds us what is possible if we take some time to do exactly that. The film focuses on a pair that seems like they would quickly resort to strangling one another in any other circumstance. However, forced into a situation where they have no other choice but to talk and get to know each other better, the two quickly come to recognize the charm that both of them offer in their own quirky ways.
Spoiler: It’s Viggo.
The title of the movie comes from the Green Book that came to fame in the 50s and 60s and was used by black motorists to find more tolerant restaurants and motels. The film follows an Italian American working man who is hired to be the driver for a genius piano player… Who just so happens to be black. Given that the film is set in the 1960s and the two are traveling through the deep south, issues arise for them more than once. Luckily, the characters both specialize in getting out of various sorts of trouble that they might come across, and the story focuses mostly on them learning to let their biases and preconceived notions go. Eventually, they come to embrace the value that they offer not just as a team, but as friends.
Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are absolutely phenomenal together. The two share an electric on-screen chemistry that proves to be the very cornerstone of Green Book. Mortensen is an ape of a man consistently giving in to his vices and impulses, always just skating by. Opposite of him is Ali, a more delicate, refined, and cultured man burdened by his incredible intellect and sense of virtue. Together they are the cliched odd couple one might find in a typical road trip movie, but these two actors supply such rich performances that it becomes something more than the simple movie trope. Instead, they prove the very definition of the old saying, “opposites attract” and as Green Book goes on, the two become the absolute definition of friendship goals. Watching these two trade good-natured yet barbed remarks are the highlights of the film and I’m struggling to think of an onscreen couple as charismatic that I’ve seen on screen this year.
Director Peter Farrelly has come a long way from making movies like Hall Pass and The Three Stooges. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely the sort of humor and chemistry we’ve seen from some of his characters in films like Dumb and Dumber and Stuck on You, and it doesn’t leave you in want of something more light-hearted. In short, he’s always made movies that have heart, emotion, and hilarity, but he’s never made a movie quite like Green Book. Honestly, I would have been horrified at the thought of a film with such serious themes being made by him if I had reviewed his filmography before seeing it; but instead, I was treated to one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve experienced in theaters all year. Don’t get me wrong, I was sold on the trailer, but I had no idea that Green Book would be such a heartwarming and uplifting film. Farrelly has always had a keen grasp of relationships, but we’ve never seen him create such a subtle yet intricate relationship.
Green Book is a movie that shows how incredibly capable everyone who was involved with this film is. Mortensen and Ali give some of the best performances of their careers and Farrelly is a big part of that. The film is a consistently smooth ride which only manages to empashise the powerful emotional punches that hit when the duo do hit the occasional bump in the road. While race is very clearly a core issue in the film, and it’s a bit part fo Mortensen’s redemption over the course of the movie, but I feel like Green Book is much more about friendship and understanding than the sins of our fathers. That doesn’t mean that it’s painful to watch when ignorant hicks tell Ali that he can’t eat somewhere or stay somewhere with their shit-eating grins. While Ali’s character never expresses outrage at these moments, it’s because he doesn’t have to. The audiences will feel it for him and for those that aren’t empathetic enough, there’s Mortensen who is not afraid to speak his mind.
I feel as though my words don’t do Green Book justice. It’s a remarkable film that, despite being a period piece, feels more relevant than ever in this hate-filled climate we find ourselves in today. As cliche as it may sound, Green Book is a film that made me laugh, cringe, and even brought a tear to my eye. It’s a movie that is heartfelt and has the talent to bring about all these emotions without shamelessly pandering for them. This is one of the best movies of 2018 and a film that is a perfect film to enjoy during the holiday season.
