the last black man in san francisco (joe talbot, 2019)

The Last Black Man in San Francisco has an interesting history. Joe Talbot and Jimmie Fails met growing up in San Francisco, and they made some short films while still in high school. They began planning Last Black Man when they were still teenagers. The initial funding came via a Kickstarter campaign. It's based on the life of Fails, who plays a character named Jimmie Fails in the movie. The film was a first for both ... it was Talbot's debut as a director and Fails' debut as an actor.

All interesting, but no guarantee that the resulting movie would be any good. But it's very good, indeed. Falls is an excellent lead, with Jonathan Majors (Da 5 Bloods, Lovecraft Country) offering solid support. The film feels true to San Francisco, but it's a different San Francisco than we usually see, focusing on Hunters Point and the Fillmore. (Everyone does wear Giants gear, which is nice.) Things get a bit slack at times, but you trust Talbot and Falls to make it real. Local icons pop up, in cameos (Jello Biafra) and as supporting cast (Danny Glover, born and raised here). Thora Birch also has a cameo ... Talbot loved Ghost World, and saw similarities between that film and Last Black Man. Perhaps the most delightful cameo comes from singer Michael Marshall, a Berkeley native who sang with Timex Social Club and later had a memorable moment singing in the Luniz' "I Got 5 on It". Marshall turns up here singing the hippie anthem "San Francisco", and then, when asked what else he can sing, he sings, "I got 5 on it" before laughing.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco may have emerged from two teenage friends, but the film is adult and the filmmaking is confident. And I can't find a place to put this, so I'll stick it at the end. Joe Talbot's grandfather was Lyle Talbot, who was in more than 150 movies going back to 1928, and was a mainstay on television for decades, appearing in more than 90 episodes of Ozzie and Harriet as Ozzie's friend Joe. Joe Talbot's father, Lyle's son, is David Talbot, among other things the co-founder of Salon.