Green Book (2018)

Director: Peter Farrelly
Writers: Nick Vallelonga, Brian Curry, Peter Farrelly
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Manisco, Dimit D. Marinoff, Mike Hatton, P.J. Byrne/ Joe Curtis/ Maggie Nixon/ Von Lewis/ Jon Sauterland/ Don Stark/ Anthony Mangano/ Paul Sloan/ Jenna Lorenzo/ . ..
Genre: Drama/Comedy/Biography/Humanity
Region: United States / Mainland
Languages: English / Italian / Russian / German
Release: 2019-03-01 (Mainland China) / 2018-09-11 (Toronto Film Festival) / 2018-11-16 (USA)
Length: 130 minutes
Also known as: Green Book Traveler (Hong Kong) / Green Book of Happiness (Taiwan) / Green Book
Rating: IMDB 8.2 / Rotten Tomatoes 77%

Movie Synopsis
Tony (Viggo Mortensen) is a slacker who waits tables at a nightclub. The nightclub will be closed for several months for some reason, but the rent and living expenses that Tony has to pay will not be cancelled, so his top priority is to find another job to fill the vacancy for these months. At this juncture, a black pianist named tang Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali) offers to hire Tony.
Tang Shirley was about to start an eight-week tour to the south. However, at that time, the discrimination against black people in the South was very serious, so Tony became Tang Shirley’s driver and bodyguard. Along the way, the two people’s very different personalities caused many conflicts between them. At the same time, the various unfair treatment Tang Shirley suffered in the south also made Tony hate racial discrimination.

“Green Book” is a 2018 biographical comedy-drama film directed by Peter Farrelly, based on the true story of a working-class Italian-American bouncer named Tony Lip (played by Viggo Mortensen) who becomes the driver for an African American classical pianist named Don Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali) on a concert tour through the Deep South in the 1960s.

As the two men travel through the racially divided South, they confront racism and segregation head-on, while also learning about each other’s cultures and forming a friendship despite their initial differences.

The film was praised for its powerful performances, particularly by Ali and Mortensen, as well as its handling of sensitive racial issues. It won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Ali. However, it was also criticized for its portrayal of Don Shirley as a one-dimensional character and for its simplistic approach to the complex issues of racism and prejudice.

Despite the controversy, “Green Book” remains a powerful and thought-provoking film that highlights the importance of empathy, understanding, and friendship in overcoming societal divisions.