What a poetic, slow burn love story of a man and his home, and the lengths he'll go to hold on to an image of a city he once knew, but is no longer the same.
the film is technically stunning. the cinematography is something special. in a world filled with imbalances, cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra manages to create symmetry, constantly placing the characters in the centre of the shots, forcing you to focus on their quick flashes of emotions, expressed in both words and countenance. that quality is further enhanced by the gorgeous score; an ethereal burst of woodwinds that feels transcendent of the time it represents.
as Jimmie and Montgomery skate through their city from their predominantly black neighborhood to the whiter end, they stand out as misfits. clearly, Jimmie and Mont are too black to fit in with the white folks, yet too white to fit in with the blacks. Jimmie and Mont do not know who or what they are, and their desire for self-exploration is quietly but sharply derailed by the gentrifiers who are limiting their expression.
the film highlights the emotional bond formed between a person and a place, and it proficiently captures the emotional process of slowly coming to the realization that we do not really own the places within which we form deep, meaningful memories and experiences. In his fight to keep this house, Jimmie is fighting to retain his self-identity, or whatever is left of it. when critically considered, the house is nothing but a metaphor for Jimmie's identity, which the new invaders are slowly wringing out of him.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco is filled with emotion and personality. it's real and relatable. and in a year that's been filled so far with blockbuster superhero showdowns and remakes, this feels like a very much needed, and refreshing breath of fresh air.
the film is technically stunning. the cinematography is something special. in a world filled with imbalances, cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra manages to create symmetry, constantly placing the characters in the centre of the shots, forcing you to focus on their quick flashes of emotions, expressed in both words and countenance. that quality is further enhanced by the gorgeous score; an ethereal burst of woodwinds that feels transcendent of the time it represents.
as Jimmie and Montgomery skate through their city from their predominantly black neighborhood to the whiter end, they stand out as misfits. clearly, Jimmie and Mont are too black to fit in with the white folks, yet too white to fit in with the blacks. Jimmie and Mont do not know who or what they are, and their desire for self-exploration is quietly but sharply derailed by the gentrifiers who are limiting their expression.
the film highlights the emotional bond formed between a person and a place, and it proficiently captures the emotional process of slowly coming to the realization that we do not really own the places within which we form deep, meaningful memories and experiences. In his fight to keep this house, Jimmie is fighting to retain his self-identity, or whatever is left of it. when critically considered, the house is nothing but a metaphor for Jimmie's identity, which the new invaders are slowly wringing out of him.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco is filled with emotion and personality. it's real and relatable. and in a year that's been filled so far with blockbuster superhero showdowns and remakes, this feels like a very much needed, and refreshing breath of fresh air.