Nearly a month and a half ago, I saw Green Book and a couple other films over the course of a few weeks. However, I never began writing about them because I got caught up in the hustle and bustle of finals and the holiday season. Then, I had to prioritize reviewing recent releases when I was prepared to get caught up, so this review was even further delayed. I've ultimately decided not to review everything I saw since it's an overwhelming amount that's only further discouraged me from writing this review. Therefore, I will merely discuss Can You Ever Forgive Me?, First Reformed, American Animals, and You Were Never Really Here to highlight some overlooked 2018 films and ensure I address prime awards contenders. If I see anything new amidst all of this, I'll probably prioritize it.
'Green Book' Review
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor; Viggo Mortensen, Best Supporting Actor; Mahershala Ali, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
Won: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor; Mahershala Ali, and Best Original Screenplay.
When a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive a world-class African-American pianist on a concert tour from Manhattan to the '60s Deep South, they must rely on the Green Book to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Despite their differences, the two men soon develop an unexpected bond while confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation.
Green Book is directed by Peter Farrelly and features a screenplay from Farrelly, Brian Hayes Currie, and Nick Vallelonga (real-life son to protagonist Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga). Though Green Book garnered 3 Golden Globe wins, the distinction of being named the National Board of Review's Best Film of 2018, was honored as one of 2018's top 10 films by the American Film Institute, received audience awards at many film festivals, and a slew of nominations amongst prominent critics groups and industry guilds, it's quickly become the awards contender riddled with the most controversy. I'm currently reviewing it amidst a wave of backlash which will probably derail the film from securing certain Oscar nominations such as Best Director and Best Original Screenplay (If curious, you can read about the various controversies here as I'm not going to go completely down that rabbit hole in order to stay on track).
One relevant issue was that the screenwriters didn't consult with Shirley's surviving relatives for their side of the story, so the Shirley family has emerged to claim that the depiction of Dr. Shirley and the friendship between him and Vallelonga was entirely inaccurate. Whether that's true or not is inconsequential since Hollywood often embellishes the truth, but in hindsight, it makes the filmmakers look rather lazy regarding their research. Green Book's also been heavily criticized for pedaling a "white savior" narrative, but I disagree with that notion primarily because the two men are equally affected by one another as their viewpoints are challenged. The unfortunate reality of the situation though is that Shirley required the assistance a white man like Tony to safely navigate the South for obvious reasons. The very idea of the narrative in that setting requires as much, so while a white man is helping someone of another ethnicity, I wouldn't go as far to call it a "white savior" story. Whether you agree or not is up to you, but that's just the way I see it.
From a technical perspective, Green Book is a competently made film which provides a surface-level examination of 1960s racism and all that entails. It's essentially a light-hearted romp the whole family can enjoy. While I wouldn't necessarily agree with the movie's awards campaign classification as a comedy by the studio and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, there's a fair share of humor which stuck the landing. In general, the dynamic between Dr. Shirley and Tony is delightful due to their clashing personalities and the assured performances by these accomplished actors. Additionally, Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali have an irresistible on-screen chemistry, and the two actors lend fairly nuanced portrayals of seemingly one-note characters. Of the two, I'd say Ali's more impressionable on behalf of a meatier role, but it's rather frustrating that we just get glimpses of greatness. Ali's an excellent actor, but the script is severely lacking in comparison and Shirley gets the short end of the stick. Meanwhile, Mortensen's Italian-American New York accent is quite convincing, and his jovial personality further contributes to the film's buoyancy.
In all honesty, I didn't care much for Green Book long before the film was blasted with negative publicity. Since seeing it, I've regarded it as a fine feel-good film, albeit not one deserving of its ongoing awards attention. In spite of all the controversy, it's proven to be a robust crowd-pleaser and will probably wind up with a Best Picture nomination at the very least (though my fingers are crossed the Academy will recognize First Man or If Beale Street Could Talk over it and Bohemian Rhapsody). I ultimately bestow it with a recommendation for being an accessible awards contender.
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