When an Italian-American bouncer from the Bronx gets paired with an African- American pianist who lives above Carnegie Hall, you should know how many “odd couple” moment will go down, especially on a road trip. The Greenbook stars Viggo Mortensen as Tony “Lip” Villalonga who is hired as Dr. Donald Shirley’s personal chauffer. Villalonga not only provides the transportation to the renouned pianist but also serves as the butter that gets the duo out of some pretty sticky situations, especially in 1960’s Deep South. Touring all throughout Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee the two struggle with race, class, and sexuality with not only those who oppose equality but also personal challenges that affected them both. This movie not only touches on the larger issues clearly apparent in the trailers of this film but also those issues can travel across differences that often serve as stagnant boundaries.
Tony Villalonga, who lives in a small cramped apartment with his family is juxtaposed by Dr. Donald Shirley who camps in a castle above a world famous concert hall alone. The contrast between the pair could not be more apparent but it’s the banter the characters share that creates the tone for the movie. From their first interaction the dialog between Villalonga and Shirley is a key indicator that it will be a yin-yang dynamic. With traces of the perceived culture of the other being apparent in the verbal and nonverbal actions that Mortensen and Ali display through each scene of the movie. The Greenbook shines a light on a musician not every one has heard of, myself included, but the message dives so much further than the usual musical biopic. Having tense drama, clever back-and-forth, and comedic relief when it’s needed this is the perfect film for the season, go treat yourself.
Release Date: 11/21/2018
Cast: Viggo Mortensen & Mahershala Ali
Director: Peter Farrelly
Distributor: Dreamworks
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Audience: Definitely a more mature PG-13
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 130 mins
Website: www.GreenBookFilm.com
IMDB: @The Greenbook
Sean Plundeke | Writing Contributor
B.A | Communications | University of San Diego
I’m a full blown fanboy that is waist deep in everything from comic books, TV shows, movies, anime, and the lot. Growing up my Dad was extremely influential in providing the best of the best in terms of classic sources of entertainment which has undoubtedly shaped my interests to this day. While I definitely have more of an interest in Marvel I am not out of the loop when it comes to DC, Darkhorse, or Image comics as wells as each’s additional media content. I love the comic book culture and when I’m not geeking out I’m listening to or playing music and skateboarding around San Diego, which is way better than New Jersey. Instagram @SeanPlundeke| View My Blogs
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