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doomonfilm · 5 years

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Review : Green Book (2018)

Green Book has been on my list of 2018 films to see for quite some time, and for some reason, I’ve missed more opportunities to see it than I can count. Luckily, en route to the Indie Grits Film Festival in South Carolina, I found the time to watch the film on a flight. With all of the awards that the film has garnered, I’ve definitely been intrigued, and I’ve done my best to not set expectations of what the film would be. After all was said and done, I don’t think it was the best film of the year, but it certainly is a well-made and memorable one.

Frank ‘Tony Lip’ Vallelonga (Viggo Mortenson) is a bouncer at the world-famous Copacabana nightclub in New York City, 1962. Known equally for his fierce temper and his fast mouth, Tony Lip finds himself facing an uphill battle when the Copa closes down for renovations. His reputation creates opportunities, both good and bad, and in the end, he ends up securing a job driving and tending to Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a gifted African-American pianist with plans on touring the Midwest and Deep South in the heart of the Jim Crow era. With a record label-backed Cadillac, a copy of the Negro Motorist Green Book, and the Don Shirley Trio in tow, Tony Lip sets out on the road in hopes of protecting Shirley, getting paid, and returning to his wife Dolores (Linda Cardellini) and his family in time for Christmas. What starts out as a simple tour, however, turns into a number of learning and growing experiences for all involved.

Some people found all of the awards garnered by Green Book to be a bit of ‘service’, similar to when Crash famously cleaned up at the Oscars due to its basis on race... Spike Lee famously compared Green Book to Driving Miss Daisy by saying that this time ‘the colors were switched’. While it is true that much of the film deals with race, specifically the role of both Italians and African-Americans in the bigger picture of White America, to say that it panders ignores the other elements the film focuses on, chiefly the importance of family and self-respect. While it is interesting to see an recount of an African-American musician trying to travel the Jim Crow south (as many, many jazz musicians wrote about), it is not necessarily a unique or unfamiliar story.

Where the film works best, however, is when the characters get to be individuals rather than racial archetypes. Tony Lip is one of the most genuinely hilarious characters committed to film in 2018, be it his seemingly bottomless pit of an appetite, his lightning quick ability to turn a tense situation into a violent one, his sincere attempts at showing love to Dolores through very crude and elementary letters, or even his reluctance (and eventual acceptance) of his situation. Don Shirley is a one-man tension creating machine, seemingly keeping a wall up between he and the world for protection, occasionally letting it down to help the rapport between he and Tony grow. Where he becomes truly intriguing, however, are in his dealings with the crowds that simultaneously pay him to perform and deny him basic human rights. The range of joy and pain that Ali shows in these scenes is truly heartbreaking at times.

Technically, the film is a solid period piece, with locations, vehicles and wardrobe all putting us square in the mid-1960s. There’s nothing flashy going on in terms of camerawork or cinematography, but that’s not necessarily the point of the film, either, as it is almost solely based on human interaction. The pacing works well, as the film feels like a 90-minute romp more than one that clocks in at just over 120 minutes. The casting on the film is rock solid, especially once you venture outside of the main leads and support, as the world is filled with interesting people to look at and listen to.

Even though Viggo Mortensen tends to really a bit much on Italian film tropes, it does provide his character with a baseline, it creates a solid foundation for change and growth, and as always, he is one of the most entertaining people throughout the film. By contrast, Mahershala Ali plays a role even more dignified and noble than he is used to, but the isolation his character finds from both the white crowds that accept him and the black crowds he doesn’t relate to gives him plenty to work with. Linda Cardellini plays well against Mortensen, with her loving and caring nature being the tether that keeps Mortensen’s character from feeling insincere. These three carry the lion’s share of the film, with Dimiter D’Marinov and Mike Hatton providing strong support while the band travels, and actors like Sebastian Maniscalo, Joe Cortese, Quinn Duffy, and even Frank Vallelonga (real-life son of the main character in the film) bring texture to Mortensen’s world.

Seeing Green Book did not change my mind in the sense that Hereditary was still my favorite film of 2018, and I don’t think that I’ll be altering my top 10 list due to Green Book. What I can say, however, is that it probably didn’t deserve the criticism it received on Oscar night, as it seemingly became the victim of a moment. This film will definitely stick around, and in due time, I believe the fervor around awards season will be forgotten, and then the film will truly be able to shine on its own merit.

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peliculasjimbo · 3 years

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🇪🇸 Un virtuoso pianista afroamericano en plena segregación racial en USA y, su conductor italoamericano receloso de las personas de color. Harán un tour de conciertos por el viejo sur del país, en el que tendrán la oportunidad de acercar posturas. Maravillosa película en el que tratan el racismo con una delicadeza y, maestría apta incluso para los más jóvenes. Las actuaciones son complementarias, ninguna sobra. Desde los protagonistas hasta los secundarios pasando por los figurantes. Drama y comedia para una cinta inolvidable. Ganadora de 3 Oscars incluida a la Mejor Película. 🇬🇧 A virtuous African-American pianist in full racial segregation in the USA and his Italian-American conductor suspicious of people of color. They will do a concert tour through the old south of the country, in which they will have the opportunity to share positions. Wonderful film in which they treat racism with a delicacy and mastery suitable even for the youngest. The performances are complementary, none is superfluous. From the protagonists to the secondary ones through the extras. Drama and comedy for an unforgettable film. Winner of 3 Oscars including Best Film. #GreenBook #LibroVerde #Películas2018 #Drama #Comedia #Comedy #PG12 #PeterFarrelly #Oscars #MahershalaAli #ViggoMortensen #NickVallelonga #LindaCardellini #BrianCurrie #DimiterMarinov #PJByrne #MikeHatton #DonStark #IqbalTheba #BrianStepanek #VonLewis #TomVirtue ##### https://www.instagram.com/p/CPHEgILHpf0/?utm_medium=tumblr

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