Striking an unlikely balance between gentrification treatise and Great American fantasy, “The Last Black Man In San Francisco” is among 2019’s most memorable debut films.
READ MORE: The Best Films Of 2019… So Far
Out this month from A24, ‘Last Black Man’ sees director Joe Talbot spin a gorgeous, touching drama out of the real-life childhood eviction of the film’s star, co-scribe, and inspiration Jimmie Fails. And though in conversation with recent Bay Area social justice movies like “Blindspotting” and “Sorry To Bother You,” Fails’ story mines intense earnestness from contemporary urban life — it’s mythic, still, contemplating the wheels of fate.
READ MORE: Joe Talbot Beats The Odds With ‘The Last Black Man In San Francisco’ [Interview]
On an abridged and interview-centric episode of Be Reel, we unpack “The Last Black Man In San Francisco” for what it can tell us about the individual’s relationship to an idea as slippery as gentrification and whether the movie soars or falters once it breaks past more political observations about San Francisco’s new and old faces.
READ MORE: ‘The Last Black Man In San Francisco’ Is A Haunting Triumph [Sundance Review]
Then, we speak with Jimmie Fails, in an interview with particular focus on his chemistry with co-star Jonathan Majors (who plays Jimmie’s best friend Mont in the film). Their unspoken physical connection is one of its most memorable attributes as the pair traverses the city and takes back Jimmie’s childhood home in the Fillmore District for their own.
“I just had breakfast with [Jonathan] this morning; that’s just how we are,” Fails says of their bond. “We had to learn how to ride a skateboard together. We’d leave set and go to dinner together. I’d even sleep in his hotel room sometimes.”
Starting at the 19:20 mark, Fails also discusses his most challenging scene, skateboard wipeouts, and his need to, frankly, move on from this film rooted in his personal history.
Hear it all below.”The Last Black Man In San Francisco” is in theaters now.