Green Book review

Inspired by true events Green Book tells the extraordinary tale of two men from two completely different cultures and backgrounds coming together to form a bond and friendship unlike anything else. On one hand you have Tony Lip a straight talking bulls****er from The Bronx in New York. On the other you have Dr Don Shirley a classically trained pianist. They couldn't be any more polar opposites but as the movie goes on the relationship that blooms between them is really something to witness unfold. Of course it's all brought to life by 2 incredible performances. First off is Viggo Mortensen who puts in a career best performance as Tony Lip in my opinion. He's a talker, a brawler but a big softy at heart. Mahershala Ali who plays Dr Don Shirley who is part of a trio of musicians. A trio who task Tony with bringing them around the deep south which in turn leads to fun times, some scary moments and true heartfelt scenes.

Like I just said Viggo Mortensen is incredibly good here. It's scary at times how well he portrays the character. One moment he's scoffing down food while trying to write letters to his wife while on the road with Ali's musician trio and the next he's getting arrested for assaulting a police officer. He is the opposite to Ali's Dr Shirley a trained musician from a young age he is a genius behind the piano and really showcases his skills throughout. Green Book in a sense is like a road trip movie as a lot of time is spent with just the two leads during long car rides but the performances and interaction that they share is so good that it really doesn't matter as you'll easily find yourself getting sucked into it all.

The pacing for the most part is absolutely fantastic. It's quick witty and offers some truly hilarious scenes as the characters go from one area of the deep south to the next. Green Book isn't going to be for everyone but it is truly a fine attempt at bringing this story to life on the big screen. A bond between two men with two totally different backgrounds brought together by their own humanity. Green Book is as fine a movie you could ever spend your time watching. Thoroughly enjoyable and an early candidate for movie of the year.

★★★★★