WHAT’S IT ABOUT
Dr. Don Shirley is a world-class African-American pianist who’s about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits Tony Lip, a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx. Despite their differences, the two men soon develop an unexpected bond while confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation.
MoviesInMo Review
It has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a movie this much. Green Book is a drama with just the right amount of comedy, mixed with a much-needed history lesson. Situated in 1962 America, this film tells the story of world-renowned pianist Dr. Don Shirley and his driver Tony Vallelonga. Green Book does an OK job of introducing Tony as a bouncer and later as a devoted husband and father. Other than that, there’s really nothing special about him, but his full character isn’t seen until Dr. Shirley comes into his life. Tony is a narrow-minded, prejudice, simple Italian-American that is a product of his environment. When he is offered the job of driver/bodyguard by Dr. Shirley, the lives (and assumptions) of both individuals start to change. This is when the film really shines. As they travel throughout the southern states, we are quickly reminded of how racially divided this country was and how much has changed. Personally, as a Black man, it’s still the same, only the “Colored Only” signs were taken down. Through the eyes of Dr. Shirley, we see a determination only a few people have the strength to endure. That same conviction starts to alter Tony’s preconceived notions of how others are forced to live. The personal growth both men go through teaches us all not to jump to our scholarly taught assumptions. Regardless of what we think, everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. One of the best things about this movie was how prejudices are shown and represented. As wrong as racism is, Green Book still manages to teach without preaching all while showing the humor of it, and that’s not an easy task, no matter what time period it is. I encourage everyone to see this film as it can teach us all a few things about ourselves and how we view others.
OUR RATING – AN UNFORTUNATELY STILL RELEVANT 9.5
MEDIA
- Genre – Drama
- Street date
- Digital – February 19th 2019
- DVD/Blu-Ray – March 12th 2019
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.00:1
- Sound – English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Audio
- Subtitles – English SDH, Spanish, French
Extras
- Virtuoso Performances (HD 4:36) – A look at the two lead characters in the movie, with comments from the actors who play them, Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. Also included are comments from the movie’s director/co-writer/producer, Peter Farrelly, as well as other members of the cast and crew.
- An Unforgettable Friendship (HD 5:09) –Once again, we get members of the cast and crew (including the two leads and the director) discussing the bond between the two main characters in the film.
- Going Beyond the Green Book (HD 4:20) – Members of the cast and crew talk about what the “Green Book” was and how it was used back in the days where racial segregation was still going on, particularly in the Deep South.