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| Scene from The Last Black Man in San Francisco |
In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Released: June 7, 2019
Release Number: 84
Directed By: Joe Talbot
Starring: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan
Plot: A young man searches for home in the changing city that seems to have left him behind.
With 2019 now halfway over, A24 was looking to have one of their best years on record. Not only were they producing cult films like Under the Silver Lake and Climax, but they also had some prestige pictures to be found in The Souvenir. What was more impressive is that by June, they still had a whole lot more tricks up their sleeves. Among them was the triumphant directorial debut of Joe Talbot, who managed to turn San Francisco, CA into a landscape of ideas regarding the changing landscape and the shift away from tradition to a new tech boom. As symbolized by a house that protagonist Jimmie Fails fights for that belongs to his grandfather, the story unfolds a unique exploration of culture the importance of legacy in a community that is on the verge of being forgotten. While it didn't play as well during Oscar season as they hoped, it did present one of their first genuinely beloved masterpieces of the year.
The story begins a bit lopsided. One day when Talbot and childhood friend Fails was watching Medicine for Melancholy. Talbot had an epiphany when he realized that director Barry Jenkins was shooting in San Francisco. For the first time it seemed possible to tell stories here that mattered. Overager, he wrote Jenkins for some advice on how to make a movie. Among the questions in the cold e-mail was asking if a script would help. The film from 2008 started his interest in finding a story that mattered, and soon he turned to Fails. He was considered to be the quintessential San Franciscan, having his foot in every subculture in the city. If anyone was going to lead this story, it was him. Even if the co-lead was a famous name, Fails needed to be there alongside him. After producing an encouraging short, they managed to win over more backers.
Talbot began interviewing Fails about his life, drawing from these events to make a meaningful story. Another question that Talbot asked Jenkins was if he could make the feature for $50,000. Jenkins didn't deny this, but it had to be a starting point. It was enough to get Talbot to launch a Kickstarter that resulted in going over the goal by $25,000. It got studios interested to collaborate with him, but only if they could have a major lead alongside him. They eventually landed on Jonathan Majors. Soon Danny Glover was on board, and Talbot couldn't believe it. He even pulled from San Francisco legends for cameos, such as The Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra and Ghost World star Thora Birch. He even tried to get Paul Thomas Anderson as a cinematographer, but that didn't work. Among those who helped fund the films was Plan B Entertainment, whom Talbot visited while they were shooting Ad Astra.
Talbot doesn't see it as a tale directly about gentrification or the belief that the tech industry was taking over their humble city. He sees these details more like a tapestry that is inevitable. The story would become so personal that while filming, Fails would spend the breaks crying. It was cathartic for him. In relation to his time working with Birch, he admitted to her that he was a big fan of Ghost World and imagined it as a continuation of her character if she never got off the bus at the end of the film. Even the reference to Los Angeles would suggest some ties to the Daniel Clowes comic. Small details were added to make it more organic. Even then, there were issues filming as there was constant renovation or alterations that made continuity a bit difficult.
The film premiered at Sundance in 2019 where it won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award and Special Jury Award for Talbot. it was also nominated for U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. Talbot claims that he doesn't remember much about the night except looking at his peers, including Boots Riley and Jenkins, and feeling overwhelmed. The film ended being part of a string of 2019 releases reflecting on Black identity in America including Blindspotting and Sorry to Bother You. As a result, the film had cultural significance built into it. Given how much support the film had received so far, its $2 million budget proved to be successful as the film earned $4.6 million at the box office off the backs of the incredible word of mouth.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco remains one of A24's most popular movies according to critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. With 93%, it is generally considered one of the best movies of the year. Unlike The Souvenir, the audience score was more in line with the critics which only reflected how good Talbot's movie was. Rolling Stone listed it among the best movies of the year upon its June release. Clarisse Loughrey of Independent (UK) lead the positive feedback when she said "It's less of a rallying cry against gentrification than a rumination on the kind of pained acceptance those who suffer its effects must face." Others like Elena Lazic of Little White Lies agreed with the sentiment by saying "This interplay between an almost documentary authenticity and obviously sculpted political allegorical, then between fiction and reality, imbue the film with an odd intensity." The few who disagreed included Nick Pinkerton of Sight and Sound who suggested "While Talbot and Fails avoid turning their homespun homesick story into an unwieldy and self-important metaphor for Black American Experience in total, creeping bloat makes itself felt elsewhere." While it didn't receive any Oscar nominations (becoming one of the most famous snubs of 2020), it did receive nominations from groups like Gotham Awards, National Board of Review, and even Barrack Obama who listed among his favorite movies of the year.
For what it was worth, A24 had created another bonafide hit that proved how great and diverse their line-up could be. It was a film that had a great Black story worthy of being shared and showing that there are more voices deserving of being heard. At the point of this writing, there are no reports on what Talbot will be doing next. Still, with many rallying behind the film as one of the studio's best current works, there's a good chance that his next film will be just as big and maybe even more influential. Of course, the summer was far from over. It was just getting started as the studio looked to a returning director in Ari Aster for another horror film extravaganza, this time set in broad daylight and pulling from Ingmar Bergman with Midsommar.
Up Next: Midsommar (2019)
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