By John H. Foote
In a huge swelling of love, Green Book has been named the People’s Choice Award Winner at TIFF. The surprise winning film was adored by all who saw it, a beautiful, compassionate, warm often very funny film about the unlikely friendship between a tough bouncer and a gifted musician.
Hired to drive a black musician through the American South in the early sixties, Viggo Mortenson shines as Tony. The absolute frontrunner for Best Actor, Mortenson is spectacular in the film. Matching him step of the way as the elegant musician Don, is Mahershala Ali, also an Oscar contender.
History has shown that this award often translates into an Oscar for Best Picture, which at this writing means Green Book is the favourite for the top Academy Award.
Audience favourite A Star is Born finished fourth.
John H. Foote is a well-recognized Canadian film critic/historian who has been an active critic for 30 years. His deep love for the movies began at a very young age. He began his career as co-host of the popular TV show Reel to Real where he remained for nine years. While on TV he began dabbling in education, eventually ascending to Director of the Toronto Film School, where he also taught film history. After leaving the college to care for his wife, he returned to teaching at Humber College where he taught both Film History and Method Acting Theory. John has written two books: “Clint Eastwood – Evolution of a Filmmaker” and the upcoming “Spielberg – American Film Visionary”. He is currently working on two books, one about the films of the seventies and another on the films of Martin Scorsese. Through his career he has worked in TV, radio, print and the web. John has interviewed everyone in the industry (more than 300 interviews) except Jack Nicholson, he says sadly. Highlights include Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep Robert Duvall, Jane Fonda, Francis Ford Coppola and Kathryn Bigelow.
