Two commanding central performances.

Rating: 7/10 (31 January 2019)

Based on a true story, this drama retells of how Italian-American bouncer-turned-driver Tony "Lip" Vallelonga and African-American pianist virtuoso Dr. Don Shirley became friends during a 1960's concert tour of the Deep South. The plot may be relatively simple but the road trip these two embarked on couldn't have been more difficult. A turbulent time for African-Americans (when isn't it?) - particularly down south - Dr. Shirley faced constant racism in his pursuit to spread the splendour of his music. Written by a trio including Nick Vallelonga, the screenplay has some issues. Operating in the well-worn 'odd-couple' subgenre (it's essentially a flipped Driving Miss Daisy), it relies heavily on cliché to progress their relationship along. Dr. Shirley is the hard-nosed, cultured artist who at first is dismayed by Tony's uncouth behaviour, however, after bonding over racist cops, pub beat-downs and eating fried chicken (that Tony introduces to Dr. Shirley), their vast differences become the glue to their friendship. Yet the familiarity of the plot beats and character developments is largely surpassed by two powerhouse performances that elevate proceedings beyond the midday-movie script. Mahershala Ali imbues Dr. Shirley with layers of hidden guilt and regret, not least over his ostensible distance from the black community, whilst his stiff upper lip veneer subtly wavers through a plethora of emotional tribulations. As the other half of the duo, Viggo Mortensen's no-frills wiseass is also a complicated beast; his desire to do the right thing and be a more well-rounded person constantly battles with his overt masculinity and lack of formal education. Showered with awards nominations and wins already, Green Book overcomes its narrative shortfalls through commanding, complex portrayals by Ali and Mortensen.