Review: Green Book

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.

"Green Book" proves that a time-worn formula can still feel fresh with the right casting - in this case, Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, who proves himself to be a surprisingly able comedic performer. The film has all the makings of Oscar bait - a true story about a black musician (Ali) traveling through the deep south in the 1960s with a white man with backwards views and the eventual bond that is formed between them - but it manages to rise above such categorization due to the camaraderie of its leading men.

The film, which is set in 1962, opens with Tony Lip (Mortensen) working as a bouncer at a nightclub somewhere near his home in the Bronx. When the establishment closes temporarily, Tony finds himself in need of work and takes a gig as the chauffeur for Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a pianist whose refinement is stark in contrast to Tony's working class background and self-proclaimed bullshit artistry. An early scene in which Tony throws away two glasses from which black men working on his home had been sipping is an indicator that the road trip concert tour will be fraught with tension.

And it often is, although much of that tension exists when the two men travel through such states as North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana and other southern locales where they, not shockingly, come face to face with racism. Tony, on the other hand, attempts to display professionalism and, during the course of the trip, eventually comes to respect Shirley, both for his talent and his attempts to change the hearts and minds of people who are nakedly racist.

The road getting there is often hilarious. Who knew that Mortensen was such a gifted comedic actor? Some of this year's funniest lines and line readings belong to him, and Ali is a great foil for Tony Lip's blockbuster pronouncements of inanity. My personal favorite is his complete misread of one of Shirley's albums, which is centered around the story of Orpheus, although his butchering of a famous JFK quotable comes in a close second.

The film's title refers to a travel guide that, at the time, made note of restaurants and hotels that were friendly to African Americans in the United States. During the trip, Tony often stays at a white hotel, while Shirley - although he is the musician and Tony is the chauffeur - stays at more run-down spots, simply due to the color of his skin.

It's also somewhat of a relief that Tony and Shirley end up relying on each other, rather than one doing all the heavy lifting for the other. During one particularly risky moment, Tony saves Shirley from the police, while Shirley helps Tony become more refined, from his personal behavior to the letters he writes to his wife (Linda Cardellini). The relationship between the two men is mutually beneficial and, as a result, Tony does not become the white savior and Shirley is not, as Spike Lee once dubbed it, the "magical negro."

On the one hand, it's easy to see where the story is going, right down to a finale that called to mind "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," of all things. On the other hand, director Peter Farrelly (yes, that Peter Farrelly, of "There's Something About Mary" fame), directs the picture with aplomb, the writing is snappy and Ali and Mortensen are both superb. Yes, you could call "Green Book" a feel-good movie, a crowd pleaser, etc., but it's a film that earns the title. It's highly enjoyable and a great showcase for its two leading men.