Driving Mr. Shirley
The reviewer acknowledges that Green Book's "charms are not insignificant," but criticizes it as a "race-themed feel-good movie" where the viewer is "stuck watching a white man make his first black friend." She wants to see more of Dr. Shirley, saying, "We’re too often forced to look at Donald through Tony’s eyes, rather than learn more about him on our own." She concludes that the film is not realistic about racism: "Friendships between people of different races can bring more joy to the world, but they alone won’t put an end to racism. You can certainly enjoy this heartwarming tale about Tony and Donald as an isolated event, even if it centers on a prejudiced white man granting humanity to an exceptional black man who, by his own admission, shares little in common with his fellow black Americans. But there’s something unseemly about singling out this story, about the seemingly narrow scope of racism and how easily it can be undone. Green Book decries those cultural pockets designed to make white people feel good, often at people of color’s expense. But that’s about all it does, too. "
