Good film with a good heart

Rating: 8/10 (2 February 2019)

Director Peter Farrelly succeeds in making his first serious drama. It's not perfect but it is captivating and entertaining. Viggo Mortensen, always an under-rated actor, is wonderful as chauffeur Tony "the Lip" Vallelonga, who is from working class Bronx stock, and who has an amazing ability to deal with trouble as a night club bouncer. And as the very posh black concert pianist Don Shirley, Mahershala Ali is also great, in portraying an emotionally repressed artist, who during his tour of the Deep South comes somewhat down to earth. Both men have their eyes opened and have something to teach the other. Some of the characters' darker sides, such as Tony's resorting to violence, and his mafia ties, are shown, and not glossed over, which is refreshing. There are one or two scenes that were a bit preachy, but overall it was a nicely shot and edited, and lovingly made film.