UKH

Finally got round to watching this last night. Superb in all respects: a beautifully filmed and directed road movie; fabulous acting; funny; moving,; deals with big issues; and has a great soundtrack. It's also repeated tonight on BBC4 @ 21:00

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000yxc4/green-book

By coincidence I caught a few minutes of this last night as I turned the TV on to watch someting else. I was immediately drawn in but didn't have time to watch it, I will try and watch it tonight.

Watched it last night. Really enjoyed it considering i'd never heard of it before. Like you say great sound track and quite amusing.

I watched it last night as well. I enjoyed it.

Oscar winning film, so I had heard of it. I seem to remember that there was some controversy, but cannot remember exactly what.

https://time.com/5527806/green-book-movie-controversy/ This seems a pretty decent summation 

I loved this film when I saw it. I have watched it several times. I was and still am amazed that Viggo "Aragorn" Mortensen could play his role so convincingly. It is terrific acting. 

The bar scene towards the end is the best.

Yeah I suspect the "white saviour" genre is going to look very very dated in a few years time.

Hollywood has been churning them out for over a decade now, and they're mostly films funded by white people, made by white people and are designed to make white people feel better about themselves.

That's not to say they're bad movies, or that they have bad intentions or are made by bad people. They just lack of self awareness.

Have you seen the film.

I took it is a story about two men learning from an experience, not that Shirley was saved by Vallelonga.

Do some reading about the “White Savour” genre.  It’s the name of the genre, not a literal description of what happens in the films that fall under it.

Don Shirley's music is really worth listening to. We went on a journey through  it after watching this fine film.

He was a white driver chosen to 'work' for a famous black pianist touring the 'deep south' with all the 'extra duties' that entailed. If anything, in the film, he was saved more than his boss was.

I'd read the controversy, which is more about the family questioning the truth of a screenplay (sometimes contradicted by other evidence) and the bad behaviour of the real driver and the director. The 'green book' criticism seems weird as the driver had no black friends or cultural context to adore such an important work.... and in the most racist states lower quality motels or guesthouses were maybe the only ones safely available for black customers. Given the film's name and the context I think the film was OK for raising awareness of the work and the issues it was designed to avoid.

I'm happily recommending it as a movie... health warning: it's not perfect and no biopic is exact to life.

Maybe I was too simplistic in my language, but in assuming no knowledge of the subject on my part, you have yourself been far too literal. Even then I would argue that it is a perfectly valid comment relating to a concept that goes back well over a century.

My criticism, or observation, was more about the genre than this film inparticular. And like I said, I’m sure the intent of the makers of this film came from the right place.  And given the awards it received and the talented cast who star, I’ve no doubt it’s a well made film. That said, in my opinion films like this have had their day in a decade’s time although they may continue to be made, they won’t be winning any Oscars.

Youre absolutely right, no biopic is true to life and filmmakers diverting from the truth is part of filmmaking, but that’s not what I criticised here.

I’d happily watch it and I’m sure I’d enjoy it. But the same can be said for many movies I’ve watched that we’re made in the past, but are an anachronism in these times.

I can only react to what you post. We don’t know each other and I have no idea what you do or don’t know. You may be an absolute authority on cinema and the themes we’re discussing here, but if you make a very literal point like that, that’s all I have to react to. 

I apologise if I’ve talked down to you, but in my defence you could have made your point better.
 

To be honest, I don’t even know what your point was? That this isn’t a “white saviour” film?   Difficult position that,…

I seems only to be a minority view amongst those that gave an opinion on the film. Quincy Jones, who knew Shirley, and would have experienced many of the same prejudices, didn’t think that. I note that you admit to having not seen the film.

Quincy is a genius music producer, and I adore his work. But he’s not a writer or producer or director.  He’s not in an expert in film.

Spike Lee is, and he had some issues with this film.

As did Shirley’s family, who I suspect knew him better than Quincy Jones.

Much of there criticism was contradicted by Shirley himself. There are extensive recorded interviews of Shirley.