Green Book [DVD]

The Green Book records a sad chapter in America, racism in the 1960s. The film title comes from a real book that was used especially by Black citizens to determine which cities in the Deep South were safe for African-Americans to be out in public after sundown. It also listed hotels and restaurants that served Black Americans. The story or plot line of the movie is based on real events. Dr. Don Shirley, a pianist of genius formed a jazz trio and went on tour into the South in the early 1960s. He traveled alone in his Cadillac with his only company being his white Italian-American chauffeur, Tony Lap. The tour takes place in the eight weeks prior to Christmas Eve. People often compare the film (or rather contrast it) with Driving Miss Daisy. But, that is a mistake. Viewed from that comparison the movie is considered by some film critics and movie makers such as Spike Lee as being racist. The Green Book did win the Oscar for Best Picture and Mahshala Ali won a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Dr. Don Shirley. Viggo Mortensen was nominated for Best Actor, but did not win. My first viewing was like reading a mystery novel. I wanted to focus on Ali and his story. I came away from that screening with the feeling that the movie could indeed be considered racist. It is the product of wealthy and powerful white writers, director, and producers. It is, after all, the story of a Black musical genius during a dangerous tour through Jim Crow America. However, on second and third viewings, I began to realize that movie is about the total transformation of the Italian-American Bronx tough guy, Tony Lap, from a racist New Yorker into a very decent man. The movie is really more about the chauffeur than his famous passenger. The performances are outstanding and the musical score is magnificent. I still think it would be interesting to see a second movie of from the same material, but a version written, produced, and directed (e.g., Spike Lee) by Black artists. Given the expense of film creation, that scenario is highly unlikely. Enjoy Driving Miss Daisy with Jessica Tandy and Morgan friends, just do not confused it with the real-life story of one of America's greatest mid-20th century musical artists. Advice. The Green Book is a movie that must be seen at least twice. Incidentally, a pleasant surprise is the genuine humor in the film such as the subject of whether or not Tony carries a gun. There is also the tender side story of the letters that Tony writes to his wife in his absence at a family time of the year. This movie would make a great discussion point for movie versions of book clubs. Ideally, such a screening should be shown to an audience of both whites and Blacks. It should definitely been seen and discussed. The real Green Book was a horrible book that confirmed and perhaps even glorified racism, but the movie is all about social redemption and it is beautifully filmed.

I have watched this film more than a dozen times. A rare quality of perfection. Amazing acting and best of all based on real people. I watch it mostly for the great soundtrack and the amazing story. Who would have known there was a child prodigy invited to play the piano at 18 with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops back in the day. A true gem. Hard to find films made like this in this day and age. A 10-star film everyone needs to see.

Green Book will be notable in movie history if for no other reason than being the 2018 Best Picture winner at the Oscars. I stopped watching the Oscars years ago because they seem to delight in choosing the obscure or films that kowtow to popular fads, but Green Book is one of the rare exceptions that the Oscars got right. This film is the shared story of two disparate characters. The first is Don Shirley, an gifted African-American pianist, trained in Russia, connoisseur of languages, with an apartment above Carnegie Hall. The other was Tony Vallelonga, a rough-and-tumble Italian-American bouncer with connections to organized crime and a tremendous capacity to eat. When Shirley decides to undertake a tour of the Deep South in the early 1960s, he knows he will need protection. On the other hand, the nightclub Tony works at is closed for repairs and he needs a job for the next few months. After interviewing multiple people for the position of chauffeur, bodyguard, and bagman, Don eventually decides to hire Tony. At the beginning of their journey, there is a significant amount of friction between the two. Don is highly cultured, while Tony is salt of the earth; more notably, being of two different races leads Tony to make some insensitive, albeit not malicious, comments. Soon enough, however, Tony helps Don get out of tough situations and they bond. Some of the best scenes in the film are when Don performs. The piano work was actually done by Kris Bowers, but Mahershala Ali carries himself with confidence as he mimics the movements. Despite his obvious talent, Don is never fully accepted by white society. As Don himself notes, he feels too white to fit into black society and too black to join white society. This internal conflict reaches an emotional resolution in one of the final scenes of the film. There has been some criticism from Don Shirley's family that the film whitewashes aspects of his life. Leaving aside the question of whether Shirley was estranged from his kin (I get the impression he was), no story is able to incorporate every single perspective. Tony Vallelonga clearly held Don Shirley in high regard and viewed him as a friend, an attitude many white people fifty years ago were incapable of. More importantly, even if the story were entirely fictional, I think it offers a valuable lesson that we as human beings can learn from others whose experiences (and hence their perspectives) are different from our own. If nothing else, the film acquainted me with Don Shirley, who I had never heard of before, but whose music I now own on vinyl. The moments of levity, drama, and musical virtuosity in this film make it a great way to pass an evening. I highly recommend that everyone take the time to enjoy the performances of Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen.

Works good

Excellent movie glad I bought it.

Excellent film based on real events. At the end of the film, they show you photos of the real people. Really well done.

This is a nice, but unexpected story. A tough guy becomes friends with gay, alcoholic musician. I liked it.

Great movie, great true story. Well acted. Enjoyed as the story develops and the friendship grows. Several poignant scenes

Leider ist eine Englische Version geliefert worden, die der DVD Player mit falschem Länder Code als Fehler angibt. Lieferung nach Zeit und Preis waren OK. Leider das Mißgeschick der falschen DVD mit fehlender Sprache in Deutsch.

I have seen this movie four times and the story is so good especially since it is based upon a true story. The bond between the two men is so good .

En España no se puede ver, no coge.... Pero la vi en el cine y la peli es preciosa.

Fantastic 60's vibe, sets and costumes. Very nice, colorful transfer. The "on the road" outdoor scenes were exceptionally crisp along with the shine and chrome of the cars. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack was very adequate, especially good during the musical sequences. I haven't watched the accompanying Blu Ray, so can't comment on it.

Muy buena