‘Book’ breaks old barriers in an era of new ones
There is feel-good familiarity to the big-hearted “Green Book,” so much so it’s bound to become a cable network holiday favorite airing in between constant showings of “A Christmas Story” and “Law & Order” marathons.
Directed by Peter Farrelly, the comedy-drama dabbles in humor and weighty matters equally well in tackling the prejudice of the Jim Crow South – and the initial intolerance of two very different men who find common ground, learn from each other and form a close friendship on a musical road trip.
“Green Book” ( ★★★g; rated PG-13; in select cities Friday including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington and Chicago; nationwide Nov. 21) offers shades of “The Odd Couple,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and a race-flipped “Driving Miss Daisy.” But it’s the master class put on by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali that powers this moving and often hilarious work and gives it mass appeal.
In “Green Book,” based on a real-life episode in 1962, Italian-American tough guy Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga (Mortensen) is one of the best bouncers in New York City, doing odd jobs to provide for his family in the Bronx. Because of his reputation, he’s asked to be the driver – and a one-man security force – for Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a renowned black classical pianist who is preparing for a concert tour of the South.
Casually racist at first, Tony’s a little iffy on the gig for a few reasons – especially since it will keep him away
from his beloved wife, Dolores (Linda Cardellini), and his family up until Christmas Day. But ultimately she gives her blessing (plus the money’s too good), and Tony and Doc embark on their journey in a Coupe de Ville, armed with “The Negro Motorist Green Book” to let them know what hotels, restaurants and businesses are friendly to African-Americans.
One-half of the Farrelly brothers duo, Peter Farrelly redefined the studio comedy with sibling Bobby in the 1990s with “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary,” so there are plenty of laughs on the road with both Tony and Doc as fish out of water.
Doc looks down on his new employee to a degree, seeing him as uncouth and way too talky for his taste. In turn, Tony thinks his boss is a little too stuck up, and he’s astounded when the musician doesn’t know who Aretha Franklin and Little Richard are: “Um, Doc, these are your people.”
Mortensen and Ali are spot-on with their character quirks, from Tony’s thick “Sopranos”-ready accent and street smarts to Doc’s upper-crust demeanor that belies his insecurities. They grow closer as Doc helps Tony write love letters, and Tony witnesses up close how Southerners treat black men.
Through adversity – including Doc being asked to use an outhouse at a classy function where he’s performing and the two of them getting hauled to jail for breaking “sundown” laws – the pair find a deep respect for each other.
Ali is aces in the musical sections and gets one Oscar-ready speech in the rain. Mortensen gets most of the best lines (“Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky – when’s that going to happen?!”) and is blessed by playing a big lug who becomes enlightened but never loses his rough-and-tumble charm.
Though not particularly innovative with its cinematic tropes, “Green Book” does them exceedingly well. And even if the ways it tackles bigotry and sexuality aren’t exactly hard-hitting, they are effective: The movie offers a salve for divisiveness, an abundance of empathy and inspiration for change.