Green Book—a touching story of friendship against all odds

   Need a warm break from cold Oscar films? Try “Green Book”, a film that leaves you feeling good instead of like a disaster victim. The lighthearted drama, about a road trip by two men—one white, one black—is absolutely optimistic.

The movie, set in 1962, is based on the true story of two New Yorkers. Tony Lip is a bodyguard from Italy, where he's famed for his ability to silence fights. Don Shirley, a black pianist, asked him to be his driver on a performance tour to the Deep South of America, where racism was most serious then.
Lip is fine behind the wheel, but what"s more useful to his passenger is his talent for ending conflicts with his fists. Cities such as Birmingham, Ala., and Macon, were dangerous during the era of the early 60s. The book of the film's title is “The Negro Motorist Green-Book”, which helped black travelers find safe accommodations.

    In the film, the ups and downs of their journey are told with the changing settings. They start out in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, in nice hotel rooms and at fascinating parties. It's when they reach Louisville, Ky., that the first “Colored Only” hotel sign appears, and the attitudes turn hateful, even for the Italian. Anyway, a partnership is born during the trip: Shirleytickles the keyswhile Lip strikes the thugs(暴徒).

    The loving screenplay of “Green Book”—written by Lip's son, Nick Vallelonga, and directed by Peter Farrelly — doesn't shy away from Lip's casual racism. Yet for all his kindness toward Shirley, Lip had a long way to go when it came to tolerance.

    “Green Book” could be accused by some critics of the story not being true. But the actors' honest chemistry takes Farrelly's movie to the next level. This small tale of American goodness deserves your full attention.