I've been thinking about calling A24 one of the best studios making films today, but it really hit me while watching The Last Black Man in San Francisco. This is a studio that very carefully picks their projects and more often than not, finds great material to release. I now believe they are not just one of the best, but the absolute best of the best, especially when looking at the films released by studios throughout this decade alone. This character study is one of the best films you will see this year.

Jimmie (Jimmie Fails),finding it hard to cope with the fact that the house his grandfather built may be taken away from him, leaving him with nothing, takes it upon himself to find a way to hold onto it. That's the core premise of the movie and with a strong friendship between Jimmie and Montgomery as the backbone of the dramatic aspects, this is a film that places its main character front and center. With a well fleshed out character that has me engaged from start to finish, you've already won me over, but there is so much more to love and admire here.

Adam Newport-Berra is at the helm as the film's cinematographer and I truly believe this has set the standard for the year. I would be absolutely shocked if he doesn't receive a nomination for his work in the coming months. On top of that, being director Joe talbot's first feature film to be released, it goes without saying that he is a filmmaker that's here to stay and I am giving an early prediction that, if not this year, there will be an awards season in the coming years that consistently rave about something he has done. The Last Black Man in San Francisco is littered with talent from top to bottom.

This movie would be a technical achievement in independent cinema regardless of the material being shown on-screen, but the fact that these technical aspects are buoyed by a central performance that truly moved me was another level of special. Actor Jimmie Fails plays a character by the exact same name and there may be personal influences that helped his performance here, but a great performance is a great performance nonetheless and he delivers one of the best I've seen all year so far.

In the end, The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a film that takes its time in setting up the scenarios at hand, dives deep, and eventually delivers a very touching conclusion that had me totally invested. With superb direction, camerawork that deserves many awards, a score that soothes the mind as you're watching, and a core performance that elevates the already great material, this is a film that surely can't be missed. This is one of the very best movies I've seen all year.

I am paraphrasing something that the movie gave me. A sentence that is quite deep if you think about it. And that holds some truth to it for sure. The movie itself will divide people who watch it - especially because of its pacing. Maybe because of certain themes too. Although I'm quite sure that most will like what the movie has to say - even if only in certain scenes.

It is a movie about belonging and of course about San Francisco. Not just because of the title or that one very famous song - unfortunately I have never been there. There are other (cultural) things that I probably did not get to appreciate in my first viewing. And I am certain there are things that I did not see at all, that others find amazing. There is a lot to discover ... if you have the patience for it.

The acting is great and really subtle. Which makes this a movie that some will like way more than others ... social commentary and everything it has to say. There is one performance (no pun intended) that will make or break the movie for you ... and it is quite a powerful one ... just be vary of what you are getting yourself into.

Gentrification is pushing black folks out of San Francisco. Jimmie Fails IV (Jimmie Fails) is obsessed with recovering the family home lost years ago. He would do minor fixes to the house despite the home owner's protest and is often accompanied by his best friend Montgomery Allen (Jonathan Majors). He's been told that the house was built by his grandfather. When a dispute forces the owners out of the home, he sees an opportunity to move in without permission.

I love the visual style and the subject matter. The characters are compelling. I would like clearer expositions for these characters and their situation. The story does have a tendency to drift which is part of the charm but can also be its weakest link. There is a scene on a bus with two white women. That's a mike drop moment. The movie should end quickly after that to maintain the impact. Again, the film drifts as it has a need to do every last image. Despite that, the movie never stops being compelling. This is a quietly powerful movie.