Green Book was named one of 2018’s best films. Naturally, one of the awards it was nominated for was the Best Picture award. This year’s race for Best Picture is an unpredictable one, but this film that has always been on the table as the possible winner.
Green Book is based on true events. The film tells the story of Tony Lip, an Italian-American chauffeur who is hired to drive Don Shirley. Shirley is a black jazz pianist who is going on tour in the South. The film takes place during the 1960s, a time where racism was upfront. Because of this, Tony and Don are forced to travel by the Green Book: a guide for black travelers that helped them find hotels, motels, and restaurants that would serve them. At first, Tony and Don butt heads because Tony is loud and obnoxious while Don is always calm. Soon Don starts to become a mentor for Tony. He teaches Tony valuable lessons, like how to not be a douche and how to improve his communication skills, all of which are things that Tony needs to work on. The two men form a strong bond as they spend the next two months traveling through the South.
I really liked this film! The performances of the two leading men were definitely the best part of it. They had undeniable chemistry and both perfectly fit their roles. I was especially surprised by Viggo Mortensen’s performance since I’d never seen him in a role like this one, where he was not the good guy or hero. However, Mahershala Ali gave the superior performance and he is definitely worthy of his second Oscar. I loved how he maintained the attention of the room when he appeared; he had an almost regal aspect, something I absolutely adored about his performance.
Obviously, the film deals with the subject of racism, since the two men go through hard times: Tony is insulted for working for a black man, and Don is attacked for his skin color. I think the harsh reality of racism was handled really well, by not shying away from showing how hard Don had it by being a black musician that everyone wanted to listen to but didn’t respect him at all. Green Book definitely made me emotional in some parts.
As for what awards it should win, I just want Mahershala to win Best Supporting Actor. As long as that happens, I’ll be happy. It had a good script, so it could also win Best Original Screenplay since it is one of the popular favorites that most are thinking will win big that night. However, I don’t think that it is worthy of the Best Editing award, given that it wasn’t anything extraordinary. If it wound up winning Best Picture, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Overall, it was a good movie that showcased a beautiful friendship that grew during hard times. While it might not be one of the best films that have dealt with this topic, it’s definitely worth the watch!
The nominations that Green Book received were:
- Best Picture for Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly, and Nick Vallelonga, Producers
- Best Actor in a Leading Role for Viggo Mortensen
- Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali
- Best Film Editing for Patrick J. Don Vito
- Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly