As with most other Oscar worthy films, ‘Green Book’ was one of those moving movies where my eyes were glued to the screen. Based on a true story, from the 1960s, the film moves on to focus on the relationship between Tony and the African American jazz and classical music concert pianist Dr Don Shirly, (Mahershala Ali) as Tony becomes Shirly’s driver and bodyguard when Shirly hires him to go with him on his tour.
As soon as Viggo Mortensen (‘Lord of the Rings’, playing the main role of Tony Vallelonga) made his entrance, loudly speaking in a working class Southern accent, I knew this was a film that would provide the audience with much entertainment. We were immediately pulled into his world, into both his job as a bouncer, as well as his home life with his wife (Linda Cardellini) and his two young children.
Seeing his domestic life with a family and a large array of Italian friends made the audience see Tony in a whole different light, his character appearing very different to the serious man who works in a rowdy bar. His new sense of his characters tenderness proved Mortensen’s versatility as an actor, going from one extreme to the next: to the role of a loving and devoted husband to his wife in particular.
What captured the audience’s attention the most, however, was when Mortensen was called to be hired by Ali, who first appears to be sitting on a golden thrown in his wealthy apartment above a luxurious hotel. This change of scene immediately showed the different lives the characters initially lived, the sense of hierarchy causing the audience to feel a little uncomfortable as we saw Tony’s self-assured and boisterous character be challenged by Ali’s look of superiority. Yet as the film moves on the two gradually become equals on their 2 month road trip, and we see the cracks in their characters, particularly from Ali who reveals that his uptight serious superior believing characters life is not all as envious as it first appears to be.
Themes of class, upbringing, and particularly the issues of race between the Northern and Southern areas of America that the two are exposed help to bring out these characters hidden depths, revealing their stories and their pasts. It is amazing to see the personal journey’s these two characters undertake in their separate ways, as they change themselves for the better, helping each other to do this as they impart their own levels of knowledge on how to survive in the world.
The friendship they develop as well truly pulls at the audiences heart strings- I guess that is proof of how well these actors executed their roles, and I am convinced that the real life men who they were portraying would have been proud of being represented in such a raw way.
Labelled a comedy drama film, with some emotional and captivating scenes here and there, this is definitely one of the must see movies of the year.