Green Book

So wife and I wanted to watch a movie and decided on Green Book last night. Have to say we really enjoyed it. The kids even sat down in the living room with us and watched it. They usually can't be bothered unless it is a superhero movie of some sort.

About an Italian bouncer Tony "Lip" (actor Viggo Mortensen, Aragorn from LOTR fame) who is asked by a black pianist Dr. Donald Shirley (actor Mahershala Ali) to be his chauffeur on a tour that includes the deep south during the time of segregation.

The show opens with a scene of Tony in his house he wakes up to see two black plumbers working on his kitchen sink his wife his giving them water. When they leave he picks up the glasses and throws them away. So we already see the prejudice he has against black people.

He ends up taking the gig for Dr. Don and what ensues is an entertaining look at two men from completely different backgrounds slowly coming to grow close. You see a black man who is trapped who is neither accepted by the white culture of the era, nor the black because of his eccentric lifestyle.

Don is arrogant and stand-offish, but slowly softens to Tony. Tony is aloof and prejudicial. But you see how he changes having such a close relationship with Don over the period of the traveling tour and watching first-hand how Don is discriminated against by hotels, restaurants, stores, the police, everywhere they go in the south. Tony initially sticks up for Don because he needs his job, but by the they end up close friends. The ending credits show the real life people who the actors portrayed and showed they stayed close friends until the end.

A really heart-warming story. Really well done acting, good music. Good for the entire family. I don't think I gave away any spoilers, the movie is just a study at the prejudices the blacks went though during segregation. Makes you feel the injustice of the prejudices, and teaches some good lessons along the way.

I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good movie with good message and nice ending. No action, sex and explosions. Just a good story, and entertaining afternoon/evening.

The "green book" is a book Tony has to use in the south to see where Don can rent hotels along their tour.

Green Book

You left out Donald was a homosexual... Adds to the story line...a reply to: SimpleIdea

originally posted by: Bigbrooklyn
You left out Donald was a homosexual... Adds to the story line...a reply to: SimpleIdea

There was no mention of his being a homosexual in the movie. If you are referring to the scene where he was showering in the shower room of the YMCA after swimming, I don't think that is what happened. That doesn't make sense. Because he got arrested for showering in a "white" area.

If he was arrested for doing the nasty with the other white guy showering, which they never made mention of or insinuated, well most places would consider that public indecency, and there was nothing wrong with them getting locked up for it, no injustice being done.

a reply to: SimpleIdea

It was heavily implied in the film that he was caught having sex with that man at the YMCA and which Vallelonga attested to as well.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

It went right over my head. I must've misunderstood the scene. So Don was on the down-low. Not surprising, a huge amount of the African-American male population is.

a reply to: SimpleIdea

Saying it’s not surprising and it went over your head lol

originally posted by: Cloud9Chaser
a reply to: SimpleIdea

Saying it’s not surprising and it went over your head lol

Yep, grew up in a black urban environment. All my friends were black when I was a kid. Later on I still remember the day Oprah came out with the episode about the down-low. Not because I watch Oprah, my friend did from time to time. And we were talking to each other while eating out and he says hey, you see the new Oprah about the down-low. I was like, nah, I really don't watch Oprah. He says you gotta watch it. Gets the videocassette and passes it over to me.

So yeah, I know a thing or two from semi-personal experience about the sub-culture. Other things too, I am not going to go into here.

What's really funny is your statement. It makes it sound like you know me or something. Just being a big donkey is all.

FYI...Did a quick YouTube search, didn't find the orignal episode, but did find a later one Oprah did on the topic...

Watching the interview of this woman who had a husband who was sleeping around with other men, is really heart-breaking. there are many cases of these men infecting their innocent mates with STDs including AIDS. Just despicable.



ETA:

Another episode...the explosion of AIDS among black males and their innocent partners, victims on college campuses because of the down-low subculture...

www.youtube.com...