‘Green Book’ is predictable, but the story still enthralls

Posted on December 7, 2018

By MARK VIOLA

Sometimes I think we’ve become too accustomed to twists and surprises in our films. The backlash against M. Night Shyamalan’s patented “twist” endings notwithstanding, people tend to think a straight and narrow path is devoid of adventure.

Can a film still delight and inspire while following a mostly predictable plot? Definitely, as long as you have the right production around it.

Fortunately, that is the case with “Green Book,” directed and co-written by Peter Farrelly, one half of the famed Farrelly brothers, who have given us “There’s Something About Mary” and “Dumb and Dumber.” This is Peter’s first film without his brother and his first venture into more dramatic material.

As soon as I saw the first trailer, I was quite sure how the film, at least from a broad strokes perspective, was going to go, even though I wasn’t familiar with either of the real-life protagonists portrayed in the movie. I wasn’t mistaken, but two excellent performances from Viggo Mortensen (“Lord of the Rings”) and Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”) kept this movie captivating from start to finish.

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.