By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Peter Farrelly
Starring: Dimiter D. Marinov | Linda Cardellini | Mahershala Ali | Mike Hatton | P.J. Byrne | Sebastian Maniscalco | Viggo Mortensen
Country: united_states
Year: 2018
Running time: 130
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6966692/reference
Thom says: “Yes, this was the Oscar winner for best film of 2018 and there is a lot to like about this “road movie”. Tony Lip is a hothead bouncer for the legendary Copacabana and when its closed for renovations he acquires the job of being a driver for Black musician, pianist Don Shirley during an extensive tour through the country in 1962 with his classical/jazz Trio, stars at the time, when Blacks had to follow the disgraceful Negro Motorist Green Book while traveling in the South, showing where “coloured folk” can stay in motels or eat. They can’t even use the ‘white’ rest rooms in the concert halls they perform in. The irony here is that heavily Italian Tony is the ‘lower class’ thug (who’s nonetheless a dedicated family man) while Don is refined, effete, &, it turns out, gay. The film, which is gorgeously lit & photographed, certainly hits all the right notes, and creates a strange but lovely bond between the two dysfunctional characters, and a period of history that now seem despicable, although somehow aligned to the racist policies now in effect, and, mainly offers two magnificent acting tour-de-force performances in the same film. The astounding Viggo Mortensen as Tony & the mercurial Mahershala Ali as the snobbish Don Shirley make for a delightful combo that play off each other in perfect concerto. I find it to be a remarkable coincidence that Ali won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar here and the film won as well; which is the exact same thing that occurred 2 years ago where Ali won a Best Supporting Oscar for his work as Juan in MOONLIGHT which also was a surprise Oscar winner for Best Film. Both parts couldn’t have been more dissimilar showing his incredible range. But the real mystery here is the emergence of a vestige of talent by the heretofore undistinguished career of director Peter Farrelly, previously responsible for such mediocre schlock as DUMB & DUMBER, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, THE THREE STOOGES, ME, MYSELF & IRENE, SHALLOW HAL, DUMB & DUMBER TO, STUCK ON YOU, HALL PASS; well, you get the picture…”