Historical drama Green Book is looking more interesting by the day.
Besides serving as a major departure for comedy director Peter Farrelly (yes, of the Farrelly Brothers…), the film also looks set to provide a winning onscreen dynamic between Oscar nominees Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali.
The title references Victor Hugo Green’s Negro Motorist Green Book (published from 1936-1966), which helped African-Americans safely navigate the southern states, identifying the motels, gas stations and restaurants that might serve them.
Ali plays Dr. Don Shirley, a world-class pianist braving a concert tour that reaches into the Deep South during the early ’60s – a particularly dangerous time and place for African-Americans. Hiring a white Bronx bouncer called Tony Lip (Mortensen) to be his driver/bodyguard, Shirley sets out on tour – kick starting an odd-couple road movie that covers everything from the Civil-Rights movement to how not to eat fried chicken in a car.
Tony Lip seems like an interesting role for Mortensen, the actor still best known as the King of Gondor in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, despite earning a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2008 for Eastern Promises and recently again in 2017 for Captain Fantastic. He joins Mahershala Ali, who’s riding the momentum of his own award-winning performance 2017’s Moonlight, along with recent roles in Hidden Figures and Luke Cage.
Farrelly, who built his whole career around fart jokes, makes a big move into prestige drama with Green Book. If he can restrain himself from having Mortensen and Ali sing Dumb And Dumber’s Mockingbird song in the car, he could have an interesting, award worthy drama on his hands.