The Last Black Man in San Francisco
This movie will move you. A unique story with a well-crafted script complemented by powerful performances makes it a must-watch. No spoilers, I promise.
The Victorian house stands tall in an urbanesque part of San Francisco. Red trimmed windows, ornamental and intricate wooden exteriors, grapevine running along walls, and a witch-hat rooftop all project its distinctive appeal. For Jimmie, this house that he grew up in deserves regular upkeep. He believes that it is his duty to do so - in spite of the fact that the house no longer belongs to his family. Every day he skateboards over to the house. Every so often, Mont tags along. When the owners are out, he sneaks in through the gates, and up the stairs to repaint the trim with the right shade of red, or tidy up the lawn. He has an unwavering determination to take care of this house, the house that his grandfather built. His house.
This story is about Jimmie’s grandfather, the last black man in SFO, who built a house with his own bare hands on an empty patch of land in the Fillmore District upon his return from World War II in 1946. This story is about Jimmie, the last black man in SFO, hopeful that the city will give him a chance to realize his dream of reclaiming and restoring the house that his grandfather built. This story is about Mont, the last black man in SFO, who observes the likes of Jimmie wasting away their true potential, hopeful that they can break out of that box of their own making.
This story is for those who are underestimated by their community, and also for those who underestimate their own potential by believing that they are only one thing.
“People aren’t one thing.”
This is a story for those who feel alone in their fight to change their circumstances in a society of unfair advantages.
Jimmie Fails plays himself in his debut role. Through his restrained emotions, we are drawn into the plight of a man who longs for family and home. This story is partly based on his life and upbringing. He co-wrote the script with his friend Joe Talbot when they were in their teens and funded the film through a kickstarter campaign in 2015. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 and won “Best Directing” award for Talbot’s debut directorial venture, and a “Special Jury Prize for Creative Collaboration” award.
Jonathan Majors (from the Avengers/Loki fame) plays the fictional character Mont, a soft-spoken man, a talented artist, a well-read play-writer, a caring grandson, and a partner-in-crime to his friend Jimmie. Through the course of the movie, the versatility of Majors’ acting skills shines through. Mont, clearly conflicted by the incidents that unfold, draws lessons from it that he unravels in his play. At the end, it is “he who remains”.
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Fantastic read!