For my money the best film of 2018 is Green Book, and I was delighted (and, I must admit, surprised), when it finished strong at the Academy Awards.  It has been controversial for its (questionably) relative truthfulness and because the source writer has written or said some stupid things in the past.  Does any of that really matter?  Maybe it does, but not to me, not when the end result is a dramatic comedy this powerful and meaningful.  I love this movie.

Peter Farrelly’s film chronicles a 1962 concert tour of the South by black pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali).  He is driven, and protected, by Italian tough guy Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), who takes the job because he can use the cash.  Tony is street smart, and somewhat prejudiced, while Dr. Shirley is introverted, isolated and somewhat pompous.  The trip humanizes both of them, bringing them together in the ways that only shared experience can.  It is a very personal story that also serves as the familiar proverb, if you will, that only by walking in another’s shoes can one really appreciate that other person and their circumstances.  It reflects a genuine truth that I have experienced myself, and it is an absolute joy to behold.

The acting is top-notch (Mortensen and Ali were both Oscar-nominated, with Ali winning his second statue in three years; Linda Cardellini is just as good as Tony’s wife Dolores), yet the writing is what truly impressed me.  The script is rarely preachy, finds humor in most situations, goes into incredible detail, isn’t afraid to confront the uncomfortable, and allows its characters to grow and evolve in completely natural, believable ways.  It is certainly more benign than some other recent films dealing with race, but it is even more powerful to me because it is so personal, and based on real circumstance.  The filmmaking presented here is marvelously mounted, yet understated, preferring to let the story take center stage.

I never would have believed that one of the Farrelly brothers (who directed There’s Something About Mary and several other crude comedies) could produce such a stunning achievement, yet that is exactly what happened.  Green Book is a mainstream project, devoid of stupid hijinks, that succeeds as rousing, fulfilling entertainment with a message.  Not everyone appreciates this populist approach, but I believe it produced the best movie 0f 2018.  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆.  9 March 2019.