• Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers
Menu

World of Reel

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Home
IMG_9473.jpg
Jim Caviezel NOT Returning for Mel Gibson’s ‘Passion of the Christ’ Sequel
IMG_8509.jpg
‘Roofman’ Is the Saddest Romantic Comedy in Ages — and One of Derek Cianfrance’s Very Best Films Yet [Review]
IMG_9472.jpg
Sigourney Weaver Teases Return to ‘Alien’ Franchise With Walter Hill’s “Extraordinary” New Script
IMG_9468.jpg
Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Direct AI Thriller With Rachel McAdams, Acquired by Netflix
IMG_9464.jpg
‘Tron: Ares’ Nabs $4.8M in Previews — Budget Was Actually $200M!
Featured
Capture.PNG
Aug 19, 2019
3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC
Aug 19, 2019

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

Aug 19, 2019

World of Reel

  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
  • More
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers

'Green Book' is high-level mainstream entertainment [TIFF]

September 12, 2018 Jordan Ruimy
greenbook-mortensen-ali-picnictable-700x318.jpg

"Green Book" is directed by Peter Farelly who, along with his brother Bobby, is the 'auteur' that gave us such classic artistic statements as "Dumb and Dumber," and "There Something About Mary." Presenting "Green Book" at the world premiere last night, Farelly, unsurprisingly, mentioned, that after 40 years in the industry, this was the first time he got to present one of his movies at a film festival. With "Green Book" he may have just delivered the most successful and rousing screening of any filmmaker this festival.

The crux of the story has Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), a bouncer for an Italian-American Bronx joint, being hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who isn't actually a doctor but rather a world-class Black pianist,. Lip's job is simple, drive Don on a concert tour from NYC to the Deep South, where he must also act as bodyguard to safeguard the musician from any kind of potential racial hardships that might happen in Jim Crow law states.

The film feels like a blend of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" and "Driving Miss Daisy," but actually is  better than that and I believe it's a better movie than both. It benefits from Farelly's years of experience in comedic timing and should also be considered one of the funniest movies of the year.

The screenplay, written by Farrelly, Brian Hayes Currie and Nick Vallelonga, just feels genuine. It helps that its depiction of American racism during the 1960s blends incredibly well with the feel-good nature of the film.

I'm usually not a sucker for safe entertainment, and this film no doubt should be considered just that, but the film is such a smoothly delivered experience that, to hell with it, it counts as a major highlight of the movie year.

 Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortenson both deserve Best Actor nominations; Viggo brings real depth to the role of an Italian-American that could have easily delved into caricature; Ditto Mahershala Ali who seems to be, at least on-screen, maybe in real-life as well, a piano virtuoso — his character is filled with restraint and the inner fight to sustain his dignity amidst the racial intolerance at hand.

Linda Cardellini, playing Viggo’s stay-at-home Italian wife, is terrific as well. "A Star Is Born" better watch its back, I think we may just have the TIFF audience winner. [B+]

In REVIEWS Tags TIFF 2018, Green Book, Peter Farelly, Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali
← 'Free Solo' has the greatest mountain-climbing sequence ever put on film [TIFF]“Vox Lux" is Brady Corbet's Beautiful, Dark, and Twisted Fantasy of Fame →

FOLLOW US!


Trending

Featured
IMG_9426.jpg
Leonardo DiCaprio Circling Chris Shiherlis Role in ‘Heat 2,’ Now Set at Amazon/MGM with $170M Budget
IMG_9356.jpg
‘Marty Supreme’ Surprise Screens, Earns Raves, Chalamet’s “Career-Best” Work — Oscar Contender?
IMG_9310.jpg
Damien Chazelle’s Next Film Confirmed to Be Prison-Set Drama Starring Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig
IMG_9299.jpg
Ridley Scott Says Modern Cinema is “Sh*t” So He Just Rewatches His Own Movies: “They’re Really Good!”

Critics Polls

Featured
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants
B16BAC21-5652-44F6-9E83-A1A5C5DF61D7.jpeg
Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘The Godfather’ Named Best Movie of the 1970s
public.jpeg
Critics Poll: ‘Do the Right Thing' Named Best Movie of the 1980s
World of Reel tagline.PNG
 

Content

Contribute

Hire me

 

Support

Advertise

Donate

 

About

Team

Contact

Privacy Policy

Site designed by Jordan Ruimy © 2023