Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 30 November 2018

Mahershala Ali on 'Green Book': 'It's a legitimate offering'

By JAKE COYLE has heard the complaints
Associated Press about "Green Book." He dis-
NEW YORK (AP) — Maher- agrees.
shala Ali's life changed in "A couple of times I've seen
more ways than one the 'white savior' comments
week of the 2017 Oscars. and I don't think that's true.
Four days before he won Or the 'reverse "Driving Miss
best supporting actor for Daisy'" thing, I don't agree
his performance in "Moon- with," he says. "If you were
light," his wife, Amatus-Sami to call this film a 'reverse
Karim, gave birth to their "Driving Miss Daisy,'" then
first child. you would have to reverse
"When I won, all I could the history of slavery and
think about was: I just want colonialism. It would have
to get home," Ali says, grin- to be all black presidents
ning. and all white slaves."
It wasn't just Ali's soulful, Yet the debates over
tender performance as a "Green Book" have put Ali
drug dealer in Barry Jen- in a plainly awkward po-
kins' "Moonlight" that illu- sition, particularly when
minated Ali to audiences. Mortensen used the n-word
It was his incredible poise at a Q&A for the film while
through awards season, discussing the slur's preva-
where he became the first In this Nov. 19, 2018 photo, actor Mahershala Ali poses for a portrait in New York to promote his lence in 1962. Mortensen
Muslim actor to win an Os- film, "Green Book." quickly apologized , say-
car. At the Screen Actors Associated Press ing he had no right, in any
Guild Awards, during the was no flash-in-the-pan. bigger but dream deeper. Amma Asante or Ava Du- context to use the word. Ali
outcry over Donald Trump's Here was a journeyman Like: What type of work do Vernay. But he believes the issued a statement, too, in
ban on travel from sev- actor of uncommon grace you really want to do?" film's uplifting approach support of Mortensen while
eral mostly Muslim coun- and dignity. And Ali's phone Ali still harbors larger aspi- has value. firmly noting the word's
tries, he eloquently spoke started ringing. rations, like playing boxer "It's approached in a way wrongness."It was challeng-
about "Moonlight" and ac- "It changed the trajectory Jack Johnson, but this fall that's perhaps more palat- ing, especially being the
ceptance: "We see what of my career," Ali, 44, said has provided some of the able than some of those lone black presence in the
happens when you perse- in a recent interview over answer. Ali stars in Peter other projects. But I think film and feeling responsible
cute people. They fold into tea in midtown Manhat- Farrelly's road-trip drama it's a legitimate offering. to address that publicly,"
themselves." tan. "It gives you permission "Green Book" and head- Don Shirley is really com- says Ali. "There's a differ-
It was clear enough: Here in some way to not dream lines the upcoming third plex considering it's 1962. ence between racist and
season of HBO's "True De- He's the one in power in lacking awareness. And I
tective." And "Green Book," that car. He doesn't have think he lacked awareness
now in theaters, has again to go on that trip. I think in that moment of the inap-
catapulted Ali to the top of embodied in him is some- propriateness of the word,
the supporting-actor con- body that we haven't seen. even within an intellectual
tenders. Many believe he's That alone makes the story context like that. There's a
in line for another Oscar. worthy of being told," says mini explosion that hap-
But this time, the road has Ali. "Anytime, whether it's pens whenever a non-
been rockier. "Green Book," white writers or black writ- black person says that in a
brisk and modest, has won ers, I can play a character public setting."
raves from some critics with dimensionality, that's "But I love him," Ali adds.
and many audiences as a attractive to me." "And we've talked about
feel-good story about the "Green Book" was hailed it more. He's a great dude
real-life friendship that de- as an irresistible crowd- and he's going to continue
veloped when the refined pleaser and a major Oscar to be a great dude."
concert pianist Don Shirley contender after its Septem- Ali first got to know
(Ali) hired a racist Bronx ber premiere at the Toronto Mortensen on the awards
bouncer, Tony Lip (Viggo International Film Festival, circuit two years ago, when
Mortensen), to drive him where it won the festival's Mortensen was nominated
on a 1962 tour of the Deep audience award . (And ev- for "Captain Fantastic." The
South. But the film has been ery film in the last decade film rests on their relation-
criticized by some as an to win that prize has ended ship; that it works so well is
outdated, sentimentalized up a best picture nominee.) a testament to their chem-
kind of movie, one that But the $23 million-film has istry together. When cast,
trades on racial tropes , struggled to take off at the Mortensen's first question to
perpetuates the "white box office, earning $8.3 mil- Farrelly was who was going
savior" cliche and isn't de- lion in two weeks. Universal to play Shirley."When Pete
serving of its namesake (a Pictures still has high hopes. said Mahershala Ali, I said,
travel-survival guide for Af- Audiences gave it an A- 'Well you can't do better
rican-Americans in the Jim plus CinemaScore and the than that,'" Mortensen said
Crow South). National Board of Review by phone. "He's very sensi-
Ali grants "Green Book" is a on Tuesday named it the tive and extremely intel-
portrait of race in America year's best film . ligent and thoughtful and
unlike one by Jenkins or Still, along the way, Ali has a real awareness of
himself in any space. q