I had wanted to see “Green Book” ever since I saw the trailer for it last year. The film, which was said to be inspired by a true story, looked inspiring and thought provoking. Unfortunately, I only have so many hours in the day to catch up on movies. There are movies I want to see at the theater, some on video, some I have watch because I was kind enough to be given review copies, and I also have to juggle work full time, my eBay business, and spending time with my beautiful girlfriend. Twenty four hours a day just doesn’t seem long enough these days. Still, I was determined to see “Green Book” by the time it hit store rental shelves. Last night, I finally squeezed in enough time to watch it.
The film depicts the span of around two months when club bouncer Frank Vallelonga Sr. got a job as the driver of pianist Don Shirley. During those two months, the pair formed an unlikely bond as Shirley toured down south. In 1962, the African American Shirley wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms down south and it was up to Vallelonga to protect him from trouble.
Inspired by the true story of Don Shirley and Frank Vallelonga Sr., “Green Book” may take some creative liberties with history but it was done to showcase the growth of both characters. Shirley helped teach Vallelonga to be more refined and dignified while Vallelonga taught Shirley how to be more comfortable in his own skin so to speak and to stand up for himself. Don Shirley was a famous pianist and the namesake member of the Don Shirley Trio in real life. Vallelonga was a real life bouncer who later became an actor, going under the stage name Tony Lip. Tony Lip appeared in such classics as “The Godfather”, “Goodfellas”, and “The Sopranos”.
The cast was stellar with a performance led by Viggo Mortensen as Frank Vallelonga Sr. I don’t think Mortensen has delivered a bad performance in a film and “Green Book” is among his best work to date. Mortensen manages to make Vallelonga slightly slimy but still likable. Mahershala Ali portrays Don Shirley with excellent gusto. Ali delivers a performance which is calm on the outside but internally a storm is brewing. As Shirley, Ali channels the inner rage through his concert performances. The film was surprisingly directed by Peter Farrelly, one half of the famous Farrelly Brother directing duo famous for films like “Dumb and Dumber”.
“Green Book” is, without a doubt, a story about race and class and how we are effected by our place in the world. The film does a good job at depicting how ridiculous African Americans (and even Italians to a lesser degree) were treated not that long ago. Even the title of the movie refers to the culturally insensitive road guide entitled “The Negro Motorist Green Book”. The guide let African American tourists know places they were allowed stay down south. It is a bit sickening to think about to be honest and that is the point of the movie.
The film did have some controversy surrounding it. Firstly, some critics disliked the fact that the film had what they considered to be a ‘white savior narrative’. I personally disagree with this because after viewing the film, I felt Shirley’s character was depicted as the stronger and most impactful of the characters. In the film, Shirley took a pay cut to tour the south knowing how he would get treated in the hopes of inspiring change. Vallelonga was just more or less his driver and muscle. Everyone sees art differently however but I personally disagree with this particular controversy. Lastly, Don Shirley’s family was hurt by their depiction in the movie (or lack there of) and unhappy with the fact that the filmmakers didn’t consult with them. The Shirley family stated that the relationship between Vallelonga and Shirley was one of an employee and employer and not that of friends as depicted in the film.
Regardless of how real the friendship between Shirley and Vallelonga was, the pair did make a historic journey touring down south and that is something that I hope isn’t lost in the controversy. Sadly both men died in 2013 so we may never hear a definitive answer but it is also important to remember that “Green Book” is only just a movie.
Grade: B+
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