The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Starring: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock, Danny Glover, Willie Hen, Jamal Trulove, Antoine Redus, Thora Birch
Directed by: Joe Talbot
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two friends (Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors) search for home as they reflect on the city of San Francisco.

Review:

Tim: Oh man, I really enjoyed The Last Black Man in San Francisco. I say that fully acknowledging I never quite got the movie. Or maybe I did, but it's so purposefully ambiguous and aloof. This is a beautiful, complicated movie about two men in San Francisco who witness changes to the city and to those who live in it. It's really a movie about the search for home and what that means. You've never seen anything quite like this movie- it's unconventional and memorable. It's a really, really good movie.

Obviously a big part of this film is about the theme of home. One of the main characters spends an inordinate amount of time taking care of the family home, even though his family hasn't lived there in many years and the new residents are angry and frustrated that he won't leave their home alone (although all he does is improve it). I'm trying to verbalize why he does this, but it's complicated (and just odd). The need for a place to call home, one that connects to his ancestors, is important. What does it mean when you don't have a home? Not necessarily "homeless" in the modern sense of the word, but you don't have a place to call your own, a place that holds your memories? We see these men adrift in the city, searching for home, searching for themselves, and for their future. I'm not doing this film justice because I can't even fully wrap my mind around what I saw or what writer/director Joe Talbot was trying to say here.

Now, some movies that don't give solid answers can be annoying. That's not the case here. Not being fully versed in what and why didn't matter because the journey was so incredible. I have the image of the two main characters sitting and waiting for the bus in my mind. It's such an important visual for this film, but it's just two men sitting. And yet, it was fascinating to watch this. I'm thinking about them sharing a skateboard (which offers powerful imagery and symbolism), or Jimmie skateboarding while Montgomery runs beside him. I'm thinking about the exchanges with the group of guys, and how that seemingly small detail becomes crucial to the overall film. Talbot directs this movie that's fascinating and so difficult to pin down. I'm not sure why I loved all those things, but they capture something authentic and relatable. This is obviously a deeply personal film for those involved, and that passion and care is translated in every scene. Even if you don't understand it, you feel it.

I can't say enough about the two leads. Jimmie Fails is fantastic in the lead role. He gives this brutally honest, authentic performance. It was mesmerizing watching him in this role. It's such a meaty part and he completely owns it. Fails was part of the original story, so you know he's close to the material. He was excellent in the film. As much as I loved Fails here, I was even more impressed with Jonathan Majors. It's not an exaggeration to say Majors gives one of my favorite performances of 2019. Everything he does in this film draws you in to this unconventional, thoughtful, brilliant man. It's a truly remarkable performance. He makes the character of Montgomery Allen into this enigma, something (like the movie) that you might never fully understand, but you desperately want to. Majors and Fails are absolutely fantastic together. Watching these two men together was pure joy. Their interactions, the back-and-forth, it's unlike anything I've seen before. I could watch these two in their roles forever. That's the thing I loved the most about this movie. I really cannot stress enough how incredible Majors and Fails were together.

The supporting cast is strong, too. Danny Glover is always a welcome presence. Finn Whittrock added in a strong performance in a few scenes. Mike Epps didn't even bother me like he usually does. It was also good seeing Rob Morgan here. While you do wish there was a stronger female presence in the film, these actors are all quite excellent.

Now, I do wish the film was a bit more accessible. I spent a lot of time feeling like I was on the outside looking in. This might be a love letter to San Francisco and the changes the city has endured, but it created some level of confusion if you're less familiar with the city. It would have been nice for the story to be told in a slightly more inclusive way. I know there's a lot of symbolism and cultural references that I missed. That's a small thing in an otherwise beautiful movie, but it felt like that's what prevented me from calling this a "great" movie.

That doesn't take anything away from Joe Talbot's feature film directorial debut. It's a stunning debut film from someone that feels like a masterful director already. It's a bold, emotional movie that feels guided by Talbot's vision. The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a movie that's worth seeing- it's one of the better movies of the year.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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