green book

Rating: 10/10 (26 March 2019)

The title of the movie, Green Book, one would expect it to be a movie about romance or a chick-flick. However, Green Book is a movie about Donald (Don) Shirley, who was an African-American musician. The title of the movie itself originates from The Green Book which was published by Victor Hugo Green and his family. The book served as a guide as to which establishments served African-Americans in the segregated South. As such, it is no secret that this movie is heavily influenced by the series of events that took place in the 1960s. The movie highlighted the misfortunes faced by people of color during that time.
Both protagonists were a perfect match for the movie and for each other. Shirley, portrayed by Mahershala Ali, has endured racial discrimination his whole life. In this movie, he had set out on a mission to recruit a chauffeur for his upcoming tour. The chauffeur is none other than, Tony Vallelonga (Tony Lip), portrayed by Viggo Mortensen. It is important to note that Ali is an Academy Award winner whose acting skills are quite intriguing. It is also through their opposite characters that we are able to see their contrasting ideologies. As it was hard for an African-American musician to travel around the country, all Shirley wanted to do was to perform so that he could prove his point, even though he was secretive. As the movie progresses, it is evident to see how an inevitable friendship slowly develops.
Back in the day, New York City was a buzzing hub for various mafias, gangs and drug dealings. Through this movie, the ways in which "Tony Lip" turned down illegal offers is evidently portrayed. The bouncer turned down many opportunities, after losing his job temporarily. Thus, Lip was hired by Shirley to be his personal assistant and chauffeur. Even though the offer was turned down by Lip due to his ego, Shirley knew that losing Lip would prove to be a huge lost due to his reputation and by the way he handles situations.
The way in which the movie was shot was quite amazing, to say the least. From the perspective of a viewer, it feels like you went back in time to the period where overt displays of racism were the norm in America. It is quite saddening to see the extent to which racism occurred back in the day. Unless one has lived through it and experienced the injustice first hand, one cannot fully comprehend the depths of emotional and physical abuse endured by people of color. A lot of emphasis was placed on the segregation between people of color and the whites, a significant example was that they had to stay in different hotels. By how the scene is set, one could get a glimpse as to some of the adversities faced by Shirley. One of the many examples was how difficult it was for him to go on tour.