'The Last Black Man in San Francisco' (2019) Review
A Gorgeous, Heartfelt Portrait of a City
Premise - “A flamboyant law firm secretary works tirelessly to gain justice for a small town wrecked by a utility company's pollution.”
Director - Joe Talbot
Writer - Joe Talbot & Rob Richert
Noteworthy cast - Jonathan Majors, Jimmie Falls, & Danny Glover
My thoughts - I remember one time I heard someone say (can’t remember who) that you knew you were watching a great movie when you could freeze the frame at any point & be okay with that frame being hung on your wall. Obviously it would be reductive to say that’s the only way to tell if you are watching a great film, but it’s no doubt a way to tell you are watching a gorgeous one.
I think there were about 400 frames throughout The Last Black Man in San Francisco that I would happily frame on my wall. So many draw dropping shots one after another that it makes you wonder how this all came from the mind of a first time director.
Genuinely one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. That score. The way it’s shot. The performances. The way it captures the heartbeat of a city. The fully crafted and lived in characters.
Only major bummer was being reminded of just how much talent Jonathan Majors had and tossed away with his life choices.
How did it do at the box office? - Grossed $4.63 million ($4.5 million domestically) on a $3 million budget
Did it win any Oscars? - In a stacked Oscar year, it didn’t even receive a nomination
Where to watch - Available to stream on Cinemax or for rent/purchase on VOD through platforms like Amazon or Apple