November 27, 2018

Review: Green Book

*Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in* Green Book. Image credit: TIFF

**The following review contains spoilers for Green Book**

I had the pleasure of screening Green Book at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, ahead of its theatrical release. An overall enjoyable film, Green Book is based on the true story of Italian-American Copa Cabana bouncer, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) and world-class African-American jazz pianist, Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali). This unlikely pair forms a bond and deep friendship while traveling for Dr. Shirley’s concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South.

While the film gives us incredible performances from both Viggo and Mahershala, I still found myself watching a film with some of the same stereotypical tropes, with Lip still being a savior to Dr. Shirley. Additionally, in an attempt to preserve Lip’s persona, it neglects to dive into his overtly racist actions when two black repairmen show up to do work at his house. After they complete their job, Lip immediately throws away the drinking glasses his wife Dolores (Linda Cardellini) gave them, after offering a cool drink as a token of appreciation for their services. Dolores just pulls the glasses out of the trash, shaking her head, and that is essentially what the film does after that scene, casually breeze over this moment and an integral part of who Lip is. Since his “subtle” racism is not tackled on a deeper level, they make it seem like Lip wouldn’t have any problem traveling with and adhering to the guidelines and boundaries set by an affluent black man, but I didn’t believe that.

So, when Dr. Don Shirley and Lip actually meet, you sense a bit of racial and even economic tension, but Lip needs the work since the Copa Cabana is on hiatus. Dr. Shirley needs Lip, since he has a reputation of handling precarious situations, and that’s exactly Dr. Shirley needs to beat racism and segregation in the deep south. On their lengthy road trip, using the “Negro Motorist Green Book” as their guide to finding safe places for Dr. Shirley to rest his head at night, the two begin to reveal their true selves and walls get broken down. Dr. Shirley, while highly accomplished and regarded for his musical intellect by whites, is more of a trophy that they parade around, but never really respect him or allow him to fully in their spaces. He, having trained all over the world, doesn’t really have a connection to most black people, and is often misinterpreted as thinking he is better off. So, a loner of sorts, he is used to structuring and navigating his world in the best way he knows how. Lip, is all about his family and being the provider that they need, by any means necessary. He doesn’t feel the need to be open, just get what needs to happen, done.

The film succeeds in using humor as a way to lighten the heavy subject matter and all the racially charged scenarios these characters end up in, in the most unexpected ways. Dr. Shirley helps Lip woo his wife and opens him up a softer side and more polished way of thinking. Lip encourages Dr. Shirley to truly live, take risks and experience new things. While they meet their fair share of trials and adversity while on the road, they grow to have a mutual respect and fondness for each other’s differences. They take turns showing up for each other and teaching valuable lessons about human appreciation, self-worth, and love along the way.

I will say that Green Book is a good film and conversation starter. The performances alone are remarkable, but I just wish this story would’ve dove more into Lip’s prejudices, and how his interactions with Dr. Shirley helped him move beyond those with him and other people of color, through more open dialogue about such. I wish that Lip would’ve accepted the job but been upfront with him about his reservations and they had more of an onscreen struggle trying to navigate through that. That would’ve added an extra layer of realism, that I would’ve loved to see in a film of this caliber. Elsewhere, they touch briefly on Dr. Shirley’s sexuality and I wish that could’ve been expanded or left it out, but it felt a bit misplaced in the way the executed and placed the scene, even though I understood the importance of showing his layers and the level of ridicule and mistreatment he received on all sides. Either way, what is undeniable is that during the course of this film, these two gained a new level of emotional maturity through their initially unforeseen and often times misunderstood friendship. They learned how to work past a lot of preconceived notions and develop a relationship that maintained until their dying days. So, if you are looking for a film with outstanding performances that tackles race, challenges the way people think and more, then check out Green Book, in theaters now!