The Last Black Man in San Francisco

This independent drama on the effects of gentrification in San Francisco played to strong reviews at Sundance. It's also distributed by A24, and their films are generally very high-quality. Judging from its trailer, the film looked to be a mix of understatedly beautiful aesthetics (including some extraordinary cinematography of the Bay Area,) searing character drama, and social commentary. The film is generally well-made, and some aspects of it are undeniably impressive for a directorial debut.

The plot follows a man named Jimmie, whose grandfather built a house in San Francisco on land he purchased during World War II. Today, Jimmie wishes to live in this spacious Victorian house, but its market value has skyrocketed due to gentrification of the neighborhood (and nearby neighborhoods) near where it is located. He begins to develop a scheme with his best friend to move into the house. The film's cinematography is exceptional, and manages to juxtapose both realism and romanticism in terms of how it depicts both the ideals and the realities of San Francisco residents today. Some of the film's shots may remind viewers of Spike Lee's early films, but the film's aesthetic always feels wholly original at the end of the day. The film also uses a variety of other visual and narrative tricks, such as a tableaux vivant-style scene, to help convey the points it is trying to make on how gentrification is affecting relationships between people in urban areas today, much less exacerbating social inequality. The film's simple score is beautiful and almost haunting at times in terms of its elegance and emotional power. The performances in the film are generally strong, as the almost laid-back method acting of the two leads is thoughtful and impactful in its sheer simplicity.

Despite the film's clear achievements on a technical and narrative level that intersects strong performances with aesthetics, "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" isn't perfect. The film doesn't have too many key plot points, which would normally be okay given the film's understated tone. However, the film does feel rather drawn-out in that the narrative doesn't always impact even scenes in which the director is trying to promote substance over style. The narrative's climax is also a bit disappointing. It lacks a clear transition both preceding it and after it, and doesn't quite pack the impact on a viewer in which a film's climax should. That said, the ending is generally satisfying. Also, the film's social commentary is a bit of a mixed bag in that it shows the ways in which gentrification has affected San Francisco--yet it manages to reduce supporting characters both benefitting from and greatly harmed by gentrification to almost caricatures. As a result, the film's messaging on the perils of gentrification in cities comes up just a little short, and clearly falls below the effectiveness of social commentary in films like "Get Out." That said, there's definitely plenty to like about this indie drama. Generally recommended. 7/10

This movie began as a joke between friends...then those friends: Director Joe Talbot and lead actor Jimmie Fails worked on this project unofficially for 10 years. Each scene is thoroughly orchestrated, nothing is rushed in this film. Nuanced themes are pervasive throughout this visually beautiful movie. I do not believe a movie based in Hollywood could acheive the things this movie has. It is a masterful portait of delusions, the transitory nature of ownership, gentrification, friendship, growth, masculinity, the growing pains of the life, the City as a whole and much more. I give it 10 stars for the fact that I do not believe there was any room for improvement. A new classic.

This one strikes two big nerves: the crisis of gentrification and displacement happening in San Francisco and other cities across the country; and the general absence in most movies of nuanced presentations of Black masculinity. "The Last Black Man In San Francisco" scores in both cases. It's a beautiful, moving portrait of friendship and a gut-wrenching story of loss. It does what indie films are supposed to do: make us see things differently. The score is gorgeous. The acting, by pros and amateurs, is excellent. (Jonathan Majors is a standout. And check our Rob Morgan's scene.) Above all the movie is different. Unlike just about anything you've ever seen. Quirky, pensive, angry, melancholic. And despite it's sadness, somehow hopeful. Director Joe Talbot and lead actor Jimmie Fails deliver!

The writing, acting, cinematography, and music made this movie an excellent watch. The writers captured the true essence of living in San Francisco, from the depths of the Tenderloin to the Uber wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood, the film portrayed a gritty and complicated city to live in, affected tremendously by gentrification and generational wealth disparity. The acting was superb from both lead actors, who showed tremendous range from scene to scene and created characters the audience connected and empathized with. If you live or plan to live in San Francisco, this is a must watch! Bravo!

My wife and I watched this at home via Amazon Prime streaming movies. Quite different from most movies, some parts I didn't like, especially when there was lots of screaming or street arguments among the street guys. However the core of the story, involving a young black man longing to reassemble his family after earlier being evicted, is done very well.

We see on the news frequently that the high cost of housing in San Francisco continues to create problems and this story builds on that realism.

Jimmie Fails wrote and starts as himself, Jimmie Fails. This is his story, their former home in San Francisco was built in 1946 by his grandfather and he continues to visit it, even care for parts of it, even though a family now lives in it. He holds out hopes that he can get it back, but it is probably worth $4Million now. But we gradually find that his is a false memory, and his attachment to it is on shaky ground.

In an interview Fails states, "It's actually more a story about family, the fleeting nature of love and happiness, and fighting to find one's place in an evolving world. When I lost my house, which is what happens in the movie, it wasn't at all because of gentrification, it is about San Francisco changing, but that's not what we set out to make a film about."

Very interesting movie, some will like it while others might find it much ado about very little, or maybe just a slice of life of a black person in San Francisco constantly struggling to find a worthwhile life.