The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) Review

‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ drew a ton of buzz after its premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and won accolades for Best Directing and a Special Jury Award. There was an astonishing level of hype for this film and A24 has garnered quite an impressive history with thematically driven films such as ‘The Florida Project’ and ‘Moonlight’. Expectations were high to say the least. However, from the opening sequence I realized that I was set to embark on an inexplicable journey at the hands of a visionary director.

Joe Talbot, Director, Screenwriter, and Producer of ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’, helps detail the inviolable love between a man and a house. In this semi-auto-biographical story, Jimmie Fails (played by himself) has the lofty goal of buying a house in the middle of San Francisco that his grandfather built in 1946. Jimmie continues to take care of the house even though it is under someone else’s possession, but after that couple unexpectedly moves, Jimmie and his best friend Mont (played by Jonathan Majors) decide to make the vacant house their new home. As the grandson of the first black man in San Francisco, Jimmie continues his fight to keep his family’s constructed legacy in a gentrifying city.

“You don’t get to hate it unless you love it” encapsulates the feelings shared between Mont and Jimmie in their battle against a society that has become self-absorbed. Eyes from the public follow them relentlessly as they appear as the abnormal ones. There is a noticeable struggle for African Americans to uphold their culture as society tramples over them due to capitalism and selfish intentions. The city of San Francisco is suffering from an identity crisis and Jimmie believes that Victorian house in the Wicks’ neighborhood bridges the gap between old and new San Francisco.

Dealing with heavy themes require superlative acting to give an exact depiction of the source material and having an actor of Jimmie Fail’s caliber portray his own life seems too good to be true. Newsflash, it is not.

There is an obvious level of passion from Fail that feels unadulterated. His intentions are definitive and his actions back it up. I get the sense that he was withdrawing those past emotions within himself instead of the script. The revelation of the house’s backstory came across as a genuine story rather than a regurgitated voice line. Fail’s relationship with his parents is salvageable, although their interactions are short and hollow. He keeps his composure while facing plethora of negativity and is unwilling to take no for an answer in the pursuit of his goals. However, when he begins to lose sight of what is realistic, the meaningful friendship with his lifelong companion, Mont, keeps him grounded.

Montgomery is a dynamic character as he is a creative playwright and actor whenever he is not selling fish at the market. While he has no issue communicating with Jimmie and his family, Mont is an introvert that channels those emotions through his plays. We see the result of Mont’s artistic excellence in a performance that acts as an emotive, awakening to the audience. However, it is the relationship shared between Montgomery and Jimmie that feels impenetrable. Their chemistry is powerful and some of their dialogue exchanges toward the end of this movie is nothing short of memorable. Furthermore, these moments are more impactful thanks to the masterful camera work led by Adam Newport-Berra.

The cinematography is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The framing of shots is exquisite as every shot seems to have its own story. From tracking shots to close-ups, Newport-Berra understands how to maximize the visual aspect of those heart-warming scenes. The cuts are brilliant, and they flow with the pace of every scene. There are a few awkward editing decisions with slow motion sequences that appear randomly, but in a way, they capture the beauty and innocence of Mont and Jimmie’s relationship.

The City of San Francisco is its own character in this film. The production design makes the houses feel ancient and full of history. For instance, the old furniture that Jimmie picks up from his aunt’s house is visually inseparable from authentic second-hand furniture. It captures the vibe and background of the city tremendously.

Pacing is where this movie struggles because in the first half there is a lot of dialogue with no clear purpose behind it. However, seeing the entirety of the film proves how essential those moments to set up temporary characters and settings were. Characters who may not have deliver reasonable contributions to the plot supply a significant role in bolstering the effect of those difficult themes.

The music composed by Emile Mosseri provides a channel for those tough sentiments to funnel through. One of the songs in the film’s soundtrack tells the true story of how Jimmie met Mont, a story not told in the movie. The soundtrack was able to add an extra layer of depth to this feature and did an excellent job propelling those internal emotions to the surface by way of tears.

This movie tells the story of a city and a friendship through a lens not yet seen before. The acting, themes, and music alone lead this film into an elite category. ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ effectively creates weepy eyes and the demand for self-reflection. Joe Talbot had an unobstructed vision for this film, and it was a resounding success. Breath-taking visuals and the unbreakable bond between two friends make this film impossible to forget.

Final Score: 8.5/10