A fun, feel good film

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2018)

Let's be honest: the trailer for this film made it look like a typical, Oscar-baiting, end of the year awards contender, and in a way it is. We can't deny it - the Oscars love their films about racists turning from their prejudiced ways, and about people struggling through the atrocities of racism and bigotry, and this trailer just looked like more of the same; it's hard to get excited about a film when it looks like it was put together by a bunch of studio executives whose only thoughts were, "How can we win the Oscar this year?" But if there's one man I have faith in, one man who is a light in a dim, dark world, it's Viggo Mortensen, so I held out hope because if there's one thing Mr. Mortensen doesn't do, it's star in bad movies. And you know what? "Green Book" is most certainly not a bad movie. In fact, it's pretty darn excellent.
Look, is this movie Oscar bait? Yes. But is it well-done Oscar bait? Oh yes, it is. Immediately this movie is entertaining, right from the beginning. It's never overly melodramatic, nor too serious, like "Crash," the so-called king of Oscar bait. Instead, while it is still maddening to watch people be casually and unflinchingly racist, "Green Book" has an overall softer, more lighthearted, and humorous tone throughout. And this very fun and entertaining tone was a much needed change of pace from other Oscar bait films, which tend to emotionally manipulate audiences by tugging at their heartstrings, using emotion, instead of quality, to trick their audiences into thinking they just saw a good movie. "Green Book" is straight-up entertaining from beginning to end, and has more than its fair share of laugh out loud moments.
Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali also had amazing, standout chemistry. I mean, watching these two guys drive around, become friends, crack jokes, and stand up for each other? I loved it. The movie could've been 4 hours long of them driving around and I would've loved every second because watching these two men interact is some of the most fun time I've had at the movies. Viggo Mortensen is amazing in practically everything he's ever been in, and "Green Book" is no exception. He plays a character with such a strong personality that when he's on screen, you really can't take your eyes off of him. And Mahershala Ali, too, plays a character with a unique personality, just a very different one. And regardless, seeing both characters change, and change each other, for the better was riveting and highly entertaining viewing; they played off of each other so well, and you really feel like you become friends with them as you're watching them go on their cross-country journey.
Obviously, this isn't a perfect film. The direction does feel a little stagnant; yes, the acting is phenomenal, but the film feels very glossy and glazed over, just a little too "high-definition," for lack of a better word. Also, there are a few moments that do feel a little on the nose (look for the scene with people working in a field), but overall I found this movie to be an incredibly fun and entertaining time at the theatre. The acting is really, really good, the story is endlessly entertaining thanks to the marvelous chemistry between the two lead characters, and the message is undoubtedly important. If you want to have a good time at the movies this holiday season, you don't have to look much further than "Green Book."