Green Book

It came with a scratch that causes a pause from time to time, but the film still plays entirely..

I love the honesty of this film.

The general story line is based on a true story of Dr Don Shirley, a prodigious pianist who hires an Italian bouncer to drive him into the “deep south” on a musical tour in the early ‘60s, in an age of segregation. Coming from an Italian heritage, I can confess that my culture is guilty of having had a history of exclusivity that still lingers to this present day. It’s nothing personal, it’s an Italian thing. Didn’t matter if you’re Black or White, it was if you were or were not a ‘Goomba’. Some of the terms used in the ‘60s are pejoratives today, particularly the n-word, which I’m relieved was refrained from use. The now derogatory term is derived from a reference to folks who hail from Niger. Instead, the script substitutes ‘Black’, a term yet unused in that generational time period, but is the English equivalent for the Latin word negro — which, incidentally, is still used as a nickname by some Latino families (pronounced: nay’-gro) Spoiler alert, there is an interesting scene where Tony drives into Kentucky for the first time and discovers a Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant and he gets a bucket, to the dismay of the proper Don Shirley. I can personally vouch that I myself remember the first time eating fried chicken and being schooled by my family that it is fully appropriate, and not considered bad manners, to eat chicken without utensils. It’s the one main course that we are permitted to eat using our fingers themselves. Even so, the bigger story here is that as they toured further into the south, there were interesting lessons in the distinctions of venues. For example, Don Shirley was perfectly welcomed at the culturally blended dinner table where the host served up what was thought to be something Don Shirley must like. Even so, Shirley might have been offended of their stereotypical presumptions for this menu selection without having the earlier exposure to the Kentucky Fried Chicken incident prior in the storyline. Later in the film, this becomes more poignant as they learn that in the deeper south, the Virtuoso pianist wasn’t welcomed to sit and to simply eat in the same dining room with everyone. It’s unconscionable and bewildering that identity politics still haunt us today. We shy to speak of varying strengths or weaknesses that tend to accompany different people groups. Personally, I don’t like the term ‘race’ which is misleading since we are all a part of the only one human race on the planet. There are different nationalities, cultures, creeds, and complexions, but there is not a second race existent on God’s green earth, to borrow a phrase used in the film. A good film uses the feature time to build the background story of the characters. It makes sense to me to begin in this worldview of the driver’s background, Tony the Italian, as he is a prototype of the ethnocentric world that they lived in of various migrants in America. That world gets enchantingly swept into the world of the story’s main subject, Don Shirley, an accomplished Black pianist who is the benefactor and employer of a recent layed-off bouncer, Tony, to drive him on a musical tour into the southern countryland of the U.S... which leads to my favorite scene. The movie poster shows our two stars sitting in the Cadillac, almost as if posing for a promotional billboard advertisement. In fact, we find that it’s actually a scene from the film, and maybe the most phenomenal moment, without a word of dialogue. After Tony refills water into an overheated engine and then opens the door for his impeccable employer, both their gazes fall onto the eyes of Black harvesters looking back from the fields. It’s as if time stops! Maybe this explains why the piano maestro, it is reported, actually did not want the biography shared while he was still living. When we as individuals begin to open up and expose our vulnerabilities, we find that we are really more alike deep down than we are different. We are all trying to ease our sufferings, only to find that there are others in the community who are facing even greater inequities. Tony isn’t particularly skilled in any trade, so he’s reduced to being a bouncer without much of a retirement program. Don Shirley is a financially independent and one-of-a-kind, successful pianist, but faces reprehensible discrimination. Then there’s the ethnic workers tilling the land: men and women, young and old. Looking into those eyes, the two main characters in this biographical movie ultimately realize their own multitude of ethical deviations, like Tony’s temper and total disregard to steal or toss waste out into the streets; and for Don Shirley those ethical challenges include finding solace in a bottle of scotch and not reaching out toward his estranged brother, the only surviving family member of his family.

My husband and I really enjoyed this movie. It’s based on a true story.

Well made movie based on facts without having to shoot and blow people up. No need for idiotic super heroes. Real human heroes that did human things. Glad I saw it.

This is a fantastic tail.

Great movie. Sad to see how uncivilized we treat our Black brothers

I absolutely loved this movie and i rarely ever watch movies, i sat down and took the time after seeing some reviews on it and Im absolutely astonished at how wonderful this movie is, its full of all sorts of exciting scenes and everytime they moved on to a different show I expected something different in each one, it showcased how each of them had bad habits and opposite lifestyles and they both changed each other for the better, this is a great movie!

Amazing acting, Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are amazing. The chemistry as the story unfolds and their friendship builds is wonderful. Dont want to spoil things, but I truly cant praise this movie enough.

GREAT SCRIPT WRITING!!! When a movie can make a person laugh and cry it deserves an “Academy Award!” And this movie won an AA! But, Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali should have won “Best Actor” academy awards! Bad on Hollywood’s part. Viggo played an excellent character part as an uneducated Italian-American and Mahershala played a excellent Virtuoso Pianist. I’m an author, singer, songwriter and future scriptwriter and, this movie touched my heart! It was funny from the start to the finish and in between made me cry because of racism and real life situations/circumstances. If you want to get out of the Covid-19 pandemic blues and LAUGH your guts out because, laughing is healing, WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! I bought this movie 7/6/2021 and have watched it 20 times now and gonna watch it the rest of the year. Because I personally NEED to LAUGH. This pandemic has been murderous to say the least! So everyone should rent or buy this great movie and watch it. It makes me laugh more than it makes me cry. This movie should have won 5 Academy Awards! Shame on you Hollywood. But, thank you for a great movie. I want to thank Nick Vallelonga for exposing his families private life as well as the script writer who should have won an Academy Award for best script/screenwriter and the director. I give this movie a 10 Star Rating!!!!!!!!!! RB, Santa Cruz, CA