Green Book

Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali

"Inspired by a True Friendship"

Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) is a rough bouncer at a nightclub which closes for renovations. He is then hired by Dr Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) as his chauffeur. The classical pianist and his band are embarking on a tour in venues in the deep South. The setting is in the 1960s when racial segregation is still very much the norm. Armed with the Green Book, a 'travel guide' which lists places/hotels where African Americans are accepted, they venture on a journey of self discovery that leads to their life long friendship.

The plot tackles racial segregation in its raw form. The 1960s was a very difficult era for African Americans and the mere fact that somebody had the temerity to come up with a green book is mind boggling to me. A sad yet interesting fact I only discovered by watching this film. This biopic presents an authentic portrayal of the period. It didn't matter that Dr. Shirley was a learned classical pianist who could speak several languages, the mere color of his skin was met with a lot of bigotry in the Southern part of the country. 

Tony Lip was quite an interesting character. A street smart Italian American living in the Bronx, he himself was kind of a bigot. But I'd say, his hatred stems mostly from ignorance or not knowing any better. By the way, he got his moniker because he could talk his way out of any kind of trouble. His tough stance came in handy when Dr. Shirley faced many forms of discrimination during the tour. Viggo Mortensen's performance was excellent, he truly imbibed his character.

Mahershala Ali from the House of Cards, Moonlight and the current True Detective series on HBO was great. His characterization of Dr. Shirley was spot on - from his deep voice delivering dialogue clearly, his strong screen presence, his finesse, his wisdom and his humility despite being a great pianist - it was very well acted.

I love this movie as it explores how two complete opposite individuals who come from different backgrounds forge a deep friendship based on respect, admiration and tolerance.