Green Book (Peter Farrelly, 2018): USA

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Film reviewed by Jack Chase. Viewed at AFI Fest 2018.

Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” is a film for the ages. While it will undoubtedly receive several nods this upcoming awards season, its message remains deeper than mere appraisal or vanity. This is a timely and gut-wrenching, while also incredibly heartwarming, character study and honest exploration of society and the human condition, that will have you leaving the theater with a satisfied, and perhaps hopeful, smile on your face.

Academy-Award winner Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight, “Luke Cage”) returns to the big screen as Dr. Don Shurley, a renowned African-American pianist who must embark on a two-month tour through the Deep-South in 1962. To assist in the effort, he enlists the working class “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, an Italian-American New York city bouncer, to occupy the wheel and handle basic security. Played by two-time Academy-Award nominee Viggo Mortensen (“Hidalgo”, “Eastern Promises”), I can’t say enough about this performance. Like any great, he fluidly blends into the heart and soul (as well as appetite) of his character, and in the process becomes unrecognizable.

Like its real-life characters, these two seemed to share an admirable chemistry, and it was shown through their ability to play off each other and further substantiate their respective performances as the narrative deepened. Mahershala, the latest frontman for HBO’s “True Detective” (which is set to hit living rooms in January), delivers yet again in a performance that is quite possibly his most tender, self-effacing and powerful yet.

Quite simply, this film hits on all cylinders, commanding your attention as it touches on all themes, from political to social, while also providing a genuinely pleasant and entertaining cinematic experience. However, the brilliance of this film lies in its simplicity, and in its subtle portrait of an incrementally changing heart in an otherwise dark time. Take the family to see this wonderful, refreshing film this holiday season, as there’s something for everybody to take away from it.


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