Green Book: Cover to Cover

Rating: 7/10 (9 May 2019)

When portraying trust, friendship, or racism in today's hybrid genres that batter the big screen, it can be difficult to lay out the perfect balance of suspense and comedy to set the right tone for any pivotal scene. Written by Nick Vallelonga and directed by Peter Farrelly, Green Book is an amusing drama released in November 2018 that steps up to the plate and delivers a solid feel-good hit for today's family audience.
Set in 1962, the movie tells a story about acceptance, companionship, and racial tension that permeates the Deep South. Playing the role of New Jersey's finest family man, Tony "Lip" Vallelonga, is Viggo Mortenson. He is hired to accompany a virtuoso black piano player, Dr. Don Shirley, played by Mahershala Ali, through a months-long musical odyssey as Dr. Shirley and his trio move from venue to venue across the country, following "The Green Book" to find accommodations in the still-segregated Southern states. The tour culminates in a Christmas Eve show in Birmingham, Alabama, before the duo race home in time for the holidays. The chemistry between Tony (Mortenson) and Dr. Shirley (Ali) is unparalleled in capturing their relationship as they travel together across the nation. The plot structure starts slow, but it builds decent momentum as the story takes a few murky attempts to portray the significant racism ever-present in the early '60s. Finally, the top-notch soundtrack, featuring music from the likes of The Blackwells, Timmy Shaw, and Bobby Page, is enough to keep you wrapped up in the rhythm of the moment until the next defining scene.
The strongest asset of this movie comes from the ability of the all-star actors. The chemistry between Viggo and Ali is immersive and quickly becomes the highlight of every scene. The story of Tony Vallelonga begins with a man that is confident in what he knows about the world and the way it works for him. He uses his deviant skills to get favors and anything else he might need to get by. In the scene where Tony first meets Dr. Shirley, he is seated on a throne in a room of elegant taste. It quickly becomes apparent how uncomfortable Tony is at the initial idea of working for an educated, wealthy black man like Dr. Shirley. At the first venue they attend together, Dr. Shirley reveals a similar sentiment when he tells Tony that his speaking skills are unrefined and advises him to stay quiet and shorten his last name. Dr. Shirley then offers an olive branch during the scene, giving Tony spending money for incidentals and whatever else he might need. However, as they travel together, Tony still shows a misguided level of suspicion towards Shirley when he comes back to the car to get his wallet off the dash. As he walks away, his emotions show that even he understands how unnecessary his actions were. Through the movie, they grow a closer friendship with one another as they stick together through difficult times. When they first arrive in Tennessee, Tony is offered a job by some acquaintances from New York. Unaware that Shirley understands what they are saying, he agrees to meet with them. Dr. Shirley later confronts Tony about this, offering him more money and a promotion to road manager if he will stay. He declines the extra money and reveals he had no intention of leaving, showing a level of new-found appreciation for the trust and friendship that has grown between them.
The biggest setback for this movie is the depth of the story. There are gray areas that leave the viewer wanting more. The PG-13 rating shows that the true issues of equality and segregation are not explored to a great depth. The plot feels shallow, and the character's motives are often unrefined. Dr. Shirley's unique personality is often manipulated into whatever role is necessary to appeal to a middle-class white audience, making it feel forced. In the scene where the duo cross into Kentucky, we get a brief glimpse of Don Shirley's troubled past and his tangled relationship with his family as he reveals a few sparse details about his failed marriage and his estranged brother. But once the attitude of the movie shifts, so does the character's motivations. We don't hear about his backstory again until the end of the movie.
The movie is rife with Motown, blues, and classical music that hit all the right notes in all the right places. Swinging at the Copacabana, waltzing with masterful composers, and getting down on the gritty blues of the South all play a critical role and pull the audience right into the '60s. During the bar scene at the Orange Bird, Dr. Shirley finally drops his misconceptions about popular music of the time. He is then immediately able to connect with the people around him thanks to the music and emotion that brings them all together. By changing the notes he plays, Don Shirley finally realizes he isn't just some outcast. Instead, he has been distancing himself from people that will accept him for who he is.
Even with a few bumps in the road, Green Book drives home a 7/10. It's an agreeable feel-good movie that tries to look past the heavier context and focus on moving forward through relationships and self-acceptance found in each character. The story is delivered with some exceptional cinematography and unforgettable chemistry. However, the fact that it won Best Picture in 2018 over more original movies is not something I would expect, as the story did not leave a lasting impression like other nominees in the category. While it doesn't offer up any real solutions for racial equality, Green Book still fits the bill for a solid family night movie. It's a story that is sure to entertain, even if it is just to sit back, smile, and watch an astounding performance of two grown men throwing chicken bones out of a moving car together.