Green Book

*Prolonged Sigh* We've got another one of these don't we. By these I mean one of these "heart-warming tales about people from different worlds bonding through shared experience and proximity" that older Academy voters eat up, because they really liked Driving Miss Daisy, and shower it with critical praise because they really like its message. Except this time its directed and co-written by a PETER FARRELLY the guy behind Dumb and Dumber? What the what? Ok now I have to see this out of morbid curiosity.

Based on the true story, the film follows Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) as a longtime bouncer at the Copa who's looking for work during the club's renovations. Thank to his fierce reputation he's offered a position to be Don Shirley's, an acclaimed African-American jazz pianist, driver and security detail in a tour through the Deep South. Though their disparate personalities and experiences grate on one another the two begin to develop a mutual respect and friendship.

I get why people like movies like this. They like feel-good stories about people, especially of different races, getting along in the face of adversity and learning from one another. It makes you feel like "yeah we could solve our problems with a road trip couldn't we? At least we're not calling people racial slurs." And it's entirely possible that Vallelonga and Shirley's friendship formed like it does in this film.

That being said.

A lot of these stories lean heavily on stereotypes, use both sides logic, and paper over institutionalized racism to craft said message of unity. I know it's not intentional, but there are some scenes that make it really obvious that this script came from three white guys.

I'll highlight one scene to demonstrate what I'm talking about.

The movie makes a point of demonstrating Shirley's high society taste and proper demeanor including food. Which is in direct contrast to Tony who eats fast food like a slob and seems to hanging with the bus boys. Thus, we're not surprised when Tony pulls over to get KFC in Kentucky. Shirley rolls his eyes and the audience can have a laugh.

Then there's a prolonged scene where Tony offers Shirley fried chicken "because that's what you people like," and Shirley rightly gets offended. But Tony keeps insisting because "It's really good," and insinuating it'll help Shirley connect with his people. So Shirley relents and gives the chicken a shot and surprise surprise he likes it! See now Shirley is starting to connect with "his culture," and oh my god how this scene get past an editor. Not only that, they have a call back that the movie frames as Tony being right.

Shirley is trying to make the point that Tony is stereotyping him because of his race, which is messed up, and the scene tells us that it's ok because Tony means well, that he wouldn't mind if people assumed he liked pizza because he's Italian, and everyone likes fried chicken. He's just being nice.

There's seven or eight scenes like this, where each character lays out their perspectives and differences in such broad strokes and clean resolutions that my head wouldn't stop shaking.

What made it even more frustrating is that Tony never seems to have a moment where it clicks. That he realizes the toll that Shirley's life has taken on him (hence why he wants to always stand tall with dignity and be as proper as possible). Maybe that's why he drinks like a fish and behaves in a very restrained fashion. He doesn't want to change anymore. Society has done that enough.

There's a ton of setup for this, but no payoff. The most we get is Tony being able to admit that Shirley is his boss to other leg-breakers and telling his family to stop using racial slurs at the table. Shirley is always the one who adapts to Tony's way of thinking, almost never the other way around.

There's a lot of promise in this movie. As stereotypical as his role is, I could watch Viggo play a Brooklyn Italian for 100 episodes of a sitcom. Likewise, Mahershala Ali brings a ton of depth and gravitas to every word and moment he's given. And the script does have some funny moments and the possibility of something profound. But it never gets there.

Verdict: Tired Tropes

Though amusing once through, Green Book leans too heavily on cliches and a broad view of racism to make an impact. 5/10.