It's good. It's not life changing or close to the best of anything, but it's funny and charming. Both Viggo and Mahershala are terrific and deserve acclaim, but the film itself is nothing special if not at least entertaining. It'll probably age better than Driving Miss Daisy, though, even with some of the issues it has presenting racism in a palatable way to an (assumedly) mostly white audience.
Edit: And much like Driving Miss Daisy before it, the Academy loved it, because they're a bunch of dumb, old, white people.
Generic as hell. In a year in which we got the far better and more interesting BlacKkKlansman this feels really dated. Hopefully the awards circuit won't do the same thing it did to Spike in 1989.
I can‘t comprehend the bad reviews here. If your watch movies because you must be challenged, need unpredictable twists and flawless political correctness, then so be it. Simple folks like me just wish to be entertained, and entertaining it was. Likeable characters, a couple of laughs, I liked the movie. 8/10
I don't know which part is worse, the white guy teaching the black guy how to act "blacker" or the latter teaching the white guy how to feel good about his racism because he has a black friend.
If Green Book looks like a reverse Driving Miss Daisy, it's really more of an Odd Couple road trip movie tracking the birth of a real-life friendship. Mahershala Ali is an uptight, cultured piano virtuoso; Viggo Mortensen puts on his best Denis Leary impression as the ignorant slob paid to be his driver and bodyguard while touring in the Deep South in the '60s. There's a lot of comedy in their interactions, but of course, the trip - somewhat referenced as Orpheus' descent into Hell in the film, though it's hardly allegorical - has plenty of opportunities for drama. It seems ridiculous to me that we still need movies about racism that are this obvious (racist man gets to know black man and changes his ways - you don't need to be "woke" to learn something you don't know), but here we are. Excellent performances, good music, back doored feel-good Christmas vibes... but it doesn't go the extra mile and treat its subject matter in a novel way.
I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this film was the editing. Phenomenally comical, I laughed so much more than I'd anticipated. If you don't take it too seriously, you're bound to have a good time.
The positives: Mortensen and Ali are both excellent actors. Ali, who usually plays tough, strong, intimidating characters, is very believable as an insecure fop. Mortensen plays a dumb mook way better than I expected. He's better in this than in Lord of the Rings, if I'm being honest. Their chemistry is good and watching these two divergent personalities bounce off each other produced some genuine laughs.
The bad: This is one of the least challenging movies I have ever seen. It's a buddy road trip movie, not a movie about race or sexuality or anything else it aspires to. Shockingly, the stakes feel extremely low as nothing all that bad happens to the characters. Every time they get into a potentially dangerous situation, something miraculously saves them from it. There is no depth here. At all. It is basically an easy, feel good movie for old people. There's nothing wrong with those kinds of films, but they have no business being nominated for Best Picture, let alone winning it. The best picture of the year should be a work of art that says something meaningful. This plays like something that was made for the Hallmark Channel.
I loved this movie!!! It's a movie with heart and soul...flawless in every way. The relationship between the two lead characters is wonderful and touching, and the actors did an amazing job in conveying that. Overall it was a joy to watch.
I'm not surprised this won Oscars, but I am embarrassed. It says a lot about the pathetic state of things in this country when a movie whose watered-down, ham-fisted message would've had eyes rolling in 1962 - the year in which its set - is deemed noteworthy in 2018. It's supposed to be about confronting prejudice, yet it's overflowing with the most obvious stereotypes imaginable. (It's also one of those films where you can tell which lines of dialogue were written just for the trailer.) Green Book is the cinematic equivalent of a fat-free, sugar-free, zero calorie snack that has had all worrisome elements extracted at the expense of any substance or flavor. It tries so hard to be inoffensive that it's...well, offensive. Fine performances and a few chuckles, but otherwise it just felt condescending.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 20
Adrian B AWESOME
It's good. It's not life changing or close to the best of anything, but it's funny and charming. Both Viggo and Mahershala are terrific and deserve acclaim, but the film itself is nothing special if not at least entertaining. It'll probably age better than Driving Miss Daisy, though, even with some of the issues it has presenting racism in a palatable way to an (assumedly) mostly white audience.Edit: And much like Driving Miss Daisy before it, the Academy loved it, because they're a bunch of dumb, old, white people.
baraka92
Generic as hell. In a year in which we got the far better and more interesting BlacKkKlansman this feels really dated. Hopefully the awards circuit won't do the same thing it did to Spike in 1989.Edit: They fucking did it.
HeikoScharnberg
I can‘t comprehend the bad reviews here. If your watch movies because you must be challenged, need unpredictable twists and flawless political correctness, then so be it. Simple folks like me just wish to be entertained, and entertaining it was. Likeable characters, a couple of laughs, I liked the movie. 8/10DMCM
I don't know which part is worse, the white guy teaching the black guy how to act "blacker" or the latter teaching the white guy how to feel good about his racism because he has a black friend.Siskoid
If Green Book looks like a reverse Driving Miss Daisy, it's really more of an Odd Couple road trip movie tracking the birth of a real-life friendship. Mahershala Ali is an uptight, cultured piano virtuoso; Viggo Mortensen puts on his best Denis Leary impression as the ignorant slob paid to be his driver and bodyguard while touring in the Deep South in the '60s. There's a lot of comedy in their interactions, but of course, the trip - somewhat referenced as Orpheus' descent into Hell in the film, though it's hardly allegorical - has plenty of opportunities for drama. It seems ridiculous to me that we still need movies about racism that are this obvious (racist man gets to know black man and changes his ways - you don't need to be "woke" to learn something you don't know), but here we are. Excellent performances, good music, back doored feel-good Christmas vibes... but it doesn't go the extra mile and treat its subject matter in a novel way.thekure23
I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this film was the editing. Phenomenally comical, I laughed so much more than I'd anticipated. If you don't take it too seriously, you're bound to have a good time.CulpeperBunkerDude
Very predictable.Emiam
8/10Plex
Wow! A good, warm true-inspired story, really well planned and well executed.
Earring72
Pretty good, great music and acting. Story wise it's all a bit safe but very entertaining and well made. The leads are terrificdauble
its a biography drama. no shit its predictable..Paravail
The positives: Mortensen and Ali are both excellent actors. Ali, who usually plays tough, strong, intimidating characters, is very believable as an insecure fop. Mortensen plays a dumb mook way better than I expected. He's better in this than in Lord of the Rings, if I'm being honest. Their chemistry is good and watching these two divergent personalities bounce off each other produced some genuine laughs.The bad: This is one of the least challenging movies I have ever seen. It's a buddy road trip movie, not a movie about race or sexuality or anything else it aspires to. Shockingly, the stakes feel extremely low as nothing all that bad happens to the characters. Every time they get into a potentially dangerous situation, something miraculously saves them from it. There is no depth here. At all. It is basically an easy, feel good movie for old people. There's nothing wrong with those kinds of films, but they have no business being nominated for Best Picture, let alone winning it. The best picture of the year should be a work of art that says something meaningful. This plays like something that was made for the Hallmark Channel.
Ares Capeta
Forgettable.renepuig
I loved this movie!!! It's a movie with heart and soul...flawless in every way. The relationship between the two lead characters is wonderful and touching, and the actors did an amazing job in conveying that. Overall it was a joy to watch.MrE2Me
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Racism.I'm not surprised this won Oscars, but I am embarrassed. It says a lot about the pathetic state of things in this country when a movie whose watered-down, ham-fisted message would've had eyes rolling in 1962 - the year in which its set - is deemed noteworthy in 2018. It's supposed to be about confronting prejudice, yet it's overflowing with the most obvious stereotypes imaginable. (It's also one of those films where you can tell which lines of dialogue were written just for the trailer.) Green Book is the cinematic equivalent of a fat-free, sugar-free, zero calorie snack that has had all worrisome elements extracted at the expense of any substance or flavor. It tries so hard to be inoffensive that it's...well, offensive. Fine performances and a few chuckles, but otherwise it just felt condescending.
chunkylefunga
Good acting, always interesting to see just how backwards America was, and is really.The nice cop scene felt forced.
Decent movie but not 10/10 as critics are calling it.
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