In his superb 1996 crime novel, Quite Ugly One Morning, Christopher Brookmyre opines that ‘proactive’ is the most useful word in the English language as it immediately gives away the person who said it as being a complete wanker. The modern day equivalent would appear to be ‘problematic’.

That some people find this movie ‘problematic’ may well say more about them than the film they would decry.

Green Book is a traditional odd couple road movie telling of a talented black concert pianist, Dr Don Shirley, (Mahershala Ali) and his uncouth, Italian-American working class chauffeur, Tony Vallelonga, (Viggo Mortensen) as they travel around America’s Deep South in the early 1960s.

Don Shirley is a prim, refined and rather pompous character, classically trained but having to earn a lucrative, but unfulfilling living, by playing pop recitals; it’s believed audiences won’t accept classics played by a black man. Tony ‘The Lip’ is an ill-educated racist, a bouncer by trade, whose answer to most problems is a jab and an uppercut.

There’s wonderful chemistry between the two lead actors as their relationship develops as they drive through regions increasingly hostile to the pianist on a two month tour.

The first half of the 130 minute movie is a little sluggish, but it quickly picks up momentum thereafter and is ultimately charming, leaving a glow. There are several neat tricks from director and co-screenwriter Peter Farrelly, deliberately misleading the audience as to the film’s chartered course, keeping the story fresh and avoiding cliché and stereotyping.

There’s a line of dialogue in this well-written film advising that it takes more than genius to change hearts – it also takes courage. Green Book is superbly produced and entertaining, never once preachy. I suspect that films of this nature do more to change hearts and minds than well-meaning but sanctimonious diatribes glorying in sackcloth and ashes.

The film ended so strongly, and with Sinatra on its soundtrack, it took great self-control not to increase its 4 star rating. There won’t be many better films this year.