Set in the Jim Crow Deep South of the 1960s, and based on a true story, Green Book is a feel-good buddy comedy-drama about overcoming racism that won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) recently.

Now, let me tell you something about Toronto, one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Much of Canada’s new immigrant population settles here and it is quite the melting pot of different ethnicities. Yet, in spite of this diversity, even Toronto has not been immune to the divisive effect of President Cheeto’s hostile rhetoric from across the border which, quite frankly, has drawn the attention of bigots from across the world like demented moths to a flickering tube light. Hate crimes have gone up alarmingly and a questionable Conservative has been elected Premier of the province just a few months back, leaving the city with something of an existential crisis.

So, no, it’s no surprise that Green Book has earned such lavish praise from the local media in spite of its flaws, because it tackles a complex issue like racism and leaves you feeling hopeful even after giving a brutal examination of the belief. The problem with it is that it is often unsophisticated and can be a bit sickly sweet in its occasionally heavy-handed storytelling. Instead of challenging audiences and itself, the film is clearly designed for mass market appeal. What’s more, it focuses slightly more on one of its characters, tough Italian bouncer, Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, played by Viggo Mortensen (who us nerds will always recognise as Aragorn), rather than the highly cultured and dignified famous African-American classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) who hired him as his driver for protection on a musical tour in the heart of the Midwest and later the Deep South.

Green Book has an important message about racism to deliver in these ugly times, even if its storytelling is a bit heavy-handed and sickly sweet

That Green Book is skewed towards Tony isn’t entirely surprising, considering that the plot is co-written by his son, Nick Vallelonga. I just found Don a more interesting character. And that the film is a bit shallow isn’t surprising either, considering it was directed by Peter Farrelly, one-half of the Farrelly brothers filmmaking team. The Farrelly brothers, not to be mistaken with the far more talented and skilled Farley brothers, have made a string of fun, crude, yet sentimental comedies such as Dumb and Dumber (1994), There’s Something About Mary (1998) and Shallow Hal (2001). Though Green Book is far from perfect, it is almost shockingly better than Peter Farrelly’s usual work.

The film’s plot is like Driving Miss Daisy, but flipped. Here, Don is on a musical tour and needs to find a man who can get him through in one piece in a part of America where black people were treated worse than animals at the time. The film’s title refers to a list of establishments that still welcomed people of colour and where Don could visit and feel safe. He finds Tony, a casual racist himself, who desperately needs work. Initially, Tony throws away his drinking glasses that were used by black workers but, by the end of the film, after witnessing the sickening treatment of a man who becomes his friend, the hard man softens not only his own outlook but the outlook of Southerners who mistreat Don, using his fists.

Making the cookie-cutter plot work are the excellent and possibly Oscar-nominated performances of the two men who both share engaging, moving chemistry in some scenes that may move you to tears even if you recognise the extra-helping of cheese the narrative has to offer. Mahershala, in particular, is outstanding in a role more fun and comedic than we are used to seeing him in, with a musical performance that is really good.

Certainly, Green Book could have been a bolder and better film, but its timely message, delivered albeit like a clumsy kiss, is a crowd-pleaser in the ugly climate that we live in.

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, language including racial epithets, smoking, violence and suggestive material

Published in Dawn, ICON, December 16th, 2018