Peter Farrelly seems like an odd choice to helm a comedy-drama like Green Book. Coming from the likes of Dumb and Dumber to a film about 1960s racism, and a relationship between a black musician and his white driver seems ludicrous. Sadly, while the effort is there, Green Book doesn’t quite hit the high marks. Its lead performances are solid, but the story’s potential seems wasted, as the true-life premise could have been something special.

Thanks to Farrelly’s experience working in star-driven comedies, Green Book‘s greatest triumph are the two lead actors. Viggo Mortensen as the Italian-American driver Tony Vallelonga plays heavy into stereotypes. From his voice to his mannerisms to his personality. But even if it’s a complete caricature, it still works. Mortensen has decent comedic timing, and scenes featuring him as a slob do get some laughs.

But it’s co-star Marhershala Ali as the black pianist Don Shirley who is the real stand-out. The man has a commanding screen presence and pulls off the exterior strength and emotional frustration his character goes through. The way both actors play off one another is also entertaining to watch. Some of the best sequences see the cultured Don and slovenly Tony talking to each other in the car. There’s great laughs to be had, as well as solid growth both characters go through in these scenes.

However, the script is a bit lackluster. The two lead actors definitely salvage the product. But the film’s perspective is a bit odd and disappointing. The main focus of the film is Tony Vallelonga. Makes sense, considering his son, Nick Vallelonga, took part in the screenplay. But the film really could have been better from the perspective of Don Shirley. His role, as a black musician forced to play in front of privileged white people has so much potential. His familial relationship (which was largely fabricated), his queer background and how he’s positioned as a black man who makes white people feel good about themselves is touched upon. But it doesn’t go the whole way. We learn much more about Tony and his upbringing. It can be entertaining, but why not explore a character with a more interesting life and personality?

It’s perhaps the biggest problem with Green Book. It’s so light that many complex topics only get glanced over. It does dip its toe into the horrors of racism. But it only just scratches the surface, as if it’s afraid to do anything bold. And while not every film needs to have the intensity of 12 Years a Slave, it’s disappointing the film plays it so safe. Meanwhile, the rest of the film is straightforward and cliche as a typical buddy movie. It’s certainly competent and works as a crowdpleaser. But there could be more depth. There could be more depth to its story, its main character and especially its themes.

As is, Green Book is a perfectly fine comedy-drama. Much of what makes it enjoyable are its performances, with Ali in particular. But through experiencing the film, one yearns for a better film. It’s definitely in there, and a simple change in perspective could have made this very special. But as is, it could have been far worse.