Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) – also known as Tony Lip because of his ability to sweet-talk absolutely anyone – finds himself temporarily out of work when the club he works in is closed for renovations for two months. Struggling to make ends meet and provide for his wife Dolores (Linda Cardellini) and two young sons, he takes a job as a driver/assistant to a musician, pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali).
Going on the road for two months, and touring primarily in the deep South of the United States, the two of them come up against the segregation of the South that existed in 1962 (when the film is set).
Tony has with him a ‘Green Book’ (a travel guide for black Americans that lists accommodation and businesses in each town that they are able to make use of).
Along the way, Tony must overcome his own prejudices and lack of understanding of the issues that Don faces on a day-to-day basis, purely due to the colour of his skin.
I won’t say anything more about the plot at this point.
This film, directed by Peter Farrelly (previously known for slightly less-than-mature comedies), is incredibly crafted and beautifully told. The script, written by Farrelly along with Brian Currie and Nick Vallelonga (the son of the real Tony), is full of heartfelt dialogue, and great comedic moments.
It is while you are laughing at some of the ridiculous exchanges between Don and Tony that the seriousness of the situation of the American South at the time sneaks in and hits you. The balance between comedic and dramatic moments is incredibly well executed throughout.
I know I’ve mentioned this with other recent reviews of films set in previous time periods, but the production design of this film is just fantastic. Every single element of every frame of this picture is perfect at setting the time and place. Of course, costume design and hair and makeup contribute to this overall effect, too.
There is nothing particularly spectacular about the cinematography. That’s not to say it isn’t well shot, of course it is. There are several scenes that I imagine would have been particularly challenging to film, and these are all done exceptionally well.
The entire cast of this film are superb in their roles. Of course, as you will now be aware, Mahershala Ali has won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his work on this film. And let me tell you, it was certainly well-deserved. His subtlety on screen in portraying the character of Don (who you will recall from above was a real person) is amazing.
I would have liked to have seen Viggo Mortensen also win for his performance, which had a depth I have not seen him achieve before.
While on the topic of the Oscars, this film also won Best Original Screenplay, and the pinnacle of the night, Best Picture. These two awards were also certainly well-deserved in my opinion; I believe this to be one of the best films I have seen in a long time.
I would thoroughly recommend this film to anyone. And on that note, and with all that I have said so far, I don’t think I can give this film any other score than the one I am about to give.
10 out of 10.
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