Green Book: A Heartwarming Story in an Unlikely Period of Time

A comedic adventure through a dark time based on legendary pianist Don Shirley, his driver Tony Lip, and their journey through the Deep Southduring the Jim Crow era. Mahershala Ali (Shirley) and Viggo Mortensen(Tony Lip), show such an incredible display of acting that anyone leaving the theatre will be impressed.

The film actually gets its name from a guidecalled the “Green Book” that was used by African Americans who wanted to travel in the Jim Crow era. The Green Bookwould show African Americans where they were accepted at places like hotels and restaurants. The book was used in the movie once the duo started traveling further into the heavily segregated South.

Shirley needs not only a driver, but someone who can protect him when times get dangerous. Shirley certainly finds that in Tony Lip, a rag tag Italian bouncer from the Bronx known for his toughness.

The film’s roots are tied into two men’s journey mostly separated by racism, but there is much more then race. The men differ in about every social category there is to think of. Shirley is much more of an Intellectual while Lip is more of a insensitive dummy. As you see the relationship between the two grow throughout the movie it becomes more and more special.

The film, directed by Peter Farrelly, won best comedy at the Golden Globes, but the film is so much more than that. It is filled with telling imagery where there is no need for words to describe the setting. One example is when Shirley gets out of the car and sees the field of African American sharecroppersas they look at him with confusion. The sharecroppers see another African American not only dressed excellently from head to toe, butalsobeing driven by a white man. The facial expressions from the sharecroppers are a great depiction on how irregular the twos relationship was at that time.

The acting in the movie was believable and authentic. Whether it’s the hurt and pain bottled up in Shirley or the authentic Italian New York family of Tony the movie has you believing you’ve got a look into the actual events of Shirley and Lip’s road trip down south. The films’unique story paired with the superb acting and chemistry of the two lead actors is what makes it such a great adventure.

Ali really shows his range of acting skills with this movie. Ali is able to stick to the intellectual and quiet act while slowly becoming more open throughout the film. Whether it’s trying KFC for the first time with Tony or showing emotions not shown before at various moments in the movie, Ali changes while staying true to his character’s personality.

Mortensen’s excellent display of acting is similar to that of Ali’s.

Mortensen is able to change from his ways of racism and stereotyping to a better person. Tony shows his true colors in the beginning of the film after throwing away two glasses in his kitchen just because two black men were drinking out of them. He then takes you on an impressive change of character where he ends up being the one putting his life on the line to protect another black man.

The supporting cast is not large in numbers, but they make up for that with more excellent acting. For example, the casting and acting for Lip’s family is so authentic that anyone with Italian family members will see a little bit of them in Tony’s family. The loud talking over of everyone, Italian food for Christmas, Italian expressions, and many other things made me feel like I was back in Jersey at my Italian grandmother’sfor a family gathering.

The soundtrack of the movie meshes great with the setting of each scene throughout the film. It gives you that extra bit of realness to the trip back in time to this dark period of history that is not looked at through this scope in many other films.

The movie will take you on a journey filled with laughter as well as disappointment in the dark history of this country. Although, it will ultimately leave you with a heartwarming feeling thanks to the two brilliant lead actors and their growing relationship.