So most of us are up to date with the latest Oscars buzz and know that Green Book went home snagging the award for Best Picture.
While I can’t exactly discuss the deservedness of the outcome (haven’t seen any other ‘Best Picture’ nominee besides ‘Black Panther’), I can argue for how well it held up as a biopic drama – and it was great.
Photo courtesy of Patti Perret.
The film takes place in the early 60’s, where we’re introduced to a tough New Yorker named Frank Anthony “Tony Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortenson). Pressed for work, he meets the African-American classical pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who eventually hires him as a driver for a concert tour in the Deep South.
Though barely thrilled at the thought of working for a black man, Tony accepts the generous pay; and the two find themselves down a challenging road trip of clashing beliefs, perspectives, and attitudes towards life.
With the Negro Motorist Green Book on hand, Tony is guided through the safest areas for African-American road-trippers in the South – though that doesn’t stop them from stumbling upon a few racial injustices along the way.
Gradually, the two form a deeper understanding of the other through their adventures on the road, nurturing an unlikely friendship.
The film is a feel-good character study of two wholly contrasting personalities that have a lot to learn from one another. It really only has two main characters (Don and Tony), and they’re portrayed fantastically by Ali and Mortenson; a movie carried by a mere character duo better bring on the on-screen chemistry, and these two played off each other perfectly.
The jarring disparity between Don’s high-class, snobbish sophistication and Tony’s rough inelegance paved the way for hilarity and intriguing character development, with a script bursting of political and social philosophies tackled on both sides.
This way, while there is much dialogue to consume – the characters spend most of their time interacting in a car, after all – it never drags the scenes of leaves audiences feeling bored.
Mortenson has come a long way from playing Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, and he looks nearly unrecognizable in this film. He gained about 45 pounds for the role, though his dedication to playing Tony truly shines in his performance as a rough n’ tumble Italian man, demonstrating the range in his acting talent.
The other half of the duo, former Moonlight actor Ali, plays an excellent Don in all his classy, intellectual splendour. His nuances pay entertaining contrast to that of Tony’s vulgarity, though there is much dimension to be explored in his character as the film goes on; beneath all his upper-class charms lies a deep-seated estrangement towards the rest of society.
As Oscar-worthy as these performances were (and I confidently say that these two deserved it) – the film isn’t without its flaws. It still carries the typical clichés and corniness of a mainstream Hollywood drama, particularly those found in a movie about an unlikely friendship – but if you can watch past these cookie-cutter moments, you’ll enjoy the film nonetheless.
Composer Kris Bowers also offers an uplifting score, though I couldn’t help but notice its blatant prominence in some supposedly ‘emotional’ scenes, as if to cue audiences on what to feel in a given moment.
The way I see it, the emotion of a scene should exude through the performance of the actors within it; backing tracks are only supplementary, unless they’re meant to carry the scene. I felt they drowned out the actual meat of some scenes at certain points in the plot, though these moments were few and far between.
Overall, if you’re looking for a feel-good film with good music and raw talent, Green Book’s a great choice. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, and our two leading men knock it out of the park.
(All photos courtesy of Universal Pictures.)