Green Book

[peter]

This Peter Farrelly directed film based on true events, stars Vigo Mortenson and Mahershali Ali and won 'Best Picture' award at this years Academy Awards ceremony. The story tells of a musical tour made by black piano maestro Dr Don Shirley into the still segregated southern states in 1960's America, in which he is chauffeured and 'minded' by Italian American hardball Tony 'Lip' Vallelonga.

As the film develops the pairs initially difficult relationship develops first into something resembling respect and then blossoming into a friendship that will sustain them through the ever hardening attitudes and intolerance to which Shirley is subjected to as the tour progresses. Guiding them on their journey, Tony makes use of the eponymous Green Book - A guide for trouble free travel for negroes in the Southern States in order to find establishments in which Shirley is allowed to stay and as the occurrences of prejudice and bigotry mount he becomes ever more bemused as to why the Dr is bothering to make the tour at all - especially given the success and money with which he is being showered in New York. While Tony remains steadfast, gradually Shirley's character is unraveled to reveal a deeply honourable man of the highest rectitude but nevertheless (from the film's most poignant scene) 'complex'.

By the end of this film as has been noted elsewhere, something magical has happened, and while it is soft in its method, it still manages to make a lasting impression that sings lightly in the soul long after the final credit has rolled.