The Last Black Man in San Francisco

“A young man searches for home in the changing city that seems to have left him behind.”

Filmology Rating: 3 out of 4

The Last Black Man in San Francisco was directed by, first time director, Joe Talbot. Written by Talbot and Richard Richert. The plot centers on the efforts of two friends, Jimmie and Montgomery, to reclaim Jimmie's childhood home, a house built by his grandfather in San Francisco.

This is a film that is driven by its performances. Jimmie Fails (himself) and Jonathan Majors (Montgomery) are the two to highlight. Their friendship is at the core of the film; whenever they have nothing, they have each other. Their friendship results in a poignant way, but for several reasons.

One of the main issues with its narrative is the structure. For the first half of the film, nothing of dramatic consequence happens. It all feels like filler to establish status quo before the dramatic elements occur; establishing the status quo lacks brevity and drama, which results in a limp first half.

The second half is delightful. Once the origins of the house's history come into play, there begins the drama between Jimmie and Montgomery. Montgomery puts on a play to communicate to Jimmie that he should not allow his past to box him into a future. All of which is great and fits into the theme of the film.

The entire film revolves around this friendship, which is what made for an unsatisfying ending. Jimmie's story arc is great, but the friendship is put on the back-burner. Montgomery is the character with creative potential, in that, these characters feel role-reversed. Montgomery should have been the character to break free.

There is also an issue with perspective. Jimmie and Montgomery are squatting Jimmie's grandfather's house, which does not belong to them. In fact, it's up for sale. So, the realtor does something that makes complete sense and it portrays this character as if he is in the wrong. But, he's just doing his job.
This also looks great for a debut. Most importantly, it shows San Francisco in a way that most films do not. This portrays the city as very dank and unwelcoming. This also works as a framing device.

All issues aside, given that it's a directorial-feature debut, it is a pleasant film with performances from all of the cast that drives the picture.

Rating: See It

-Nolan