"The Last Black Man in San Francisco" and "The Peanut Butter Falcon"

I feel guilty about not liking "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" as much as I feel like I should. I'm a long time resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, even though I only managed to stick it out as a proper city dweller for less than a year. I've been hearing friends and acquaintances grumbling about the gentrification of their neighborhoods for years now, and sadly watching their exodus to more welcoming pastures. And I know people in the same boat as Jimmie Falls, playing a character of the same name, who just can't seem to let go of the beautiful Victorian house in the Fillmore where he grew up, despite having no hope of living there again.

The movie is an elegiac farewell to a passing era of San Francisco, a certain culture and community that is quickly disappearing as the hipsters and tech workers displace them. In the opening scenes we watch Jimmie and his friend Mont (Jonathan Majors) skateboard through the city, encountering colorful characters and taking in the idiosyncracies of their coastal neighborhood. The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of Michael Nyman-inspired instrumentals and reimagined hippie standards, including a spectacular version of "San Francisco" with vocals by Michael Marshall. There's a fiercely personal POV to the film and a complexity to the portrayal of the city that is neatly embodied by a line of dialogue Jimmie speaks toward the end of the film: "You don't get to hate it unless you love it."

And I suppose that's where I fail to connect to "The Last Black Man in San Francisco." I can appreciate the hell out of the artistry and authenticity of the story, and the ambitiousness of the filmmaking. I love the idea of Jimmie, grappling with his identity and trying to recapture a bygone happiness and sense of legacy that perhaps never existed in the first place. We learn more and more about him as we watch him try to reconnect to his estranged and scattered family members, and reevaluate his priorities. However, in the moment I didn't find much of it compelling. Individual instances of beauty and profundity are wonderful to see, but it feels like they happen in spite of the middling performances and on-the-nose scripting. I suspect there is also a cultural gap here. I don't really love San Francisco or consider it part of my identity the way the characters in the film do, so some of its overtures just left me cold. A few details also felt awkward, like naming a scumbag real estate agent after Governor Newsom. "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" is a beautiful feature, and I understand why it has such ardent supporters, but this one's just not for me.

Another film meant for a certain audience that I feel much more warmly towards, is "The Peanut Butter Falcon." It's the feel-good story of a young man with Down's Syndrome, Zak (Zack Gottsagen), who busts out of the North Carolina nursing home where he's been dumped, and latches on to a local fisherman, Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who is in trouble with the authorities. The pair sail off on a stolen boat, in search of a wrestling school run by the pro wrestler Zak is obsessed with. Dakota Johnson plays Zak's carer, Eleanor, who gives chase. She's one of several familiar names lending their talents to a very small film, including Bruce Dern, John Hawkes, and Thomas Hayden Church in smaller roles. A few famous wrestling stars also put in good-natured cameos.

I love the grungy naturalism of the film, where Zak spends most of his screen time in and around nature, often drenched and often mostly naked. He's got a genial personality, but Zak isn't a caricature of a differently abled person. There's a stubbornness and an irascibility to him, and he doesn't let himself be pushed into doing what he doesn't want to. Sure, he needs a lot of help, but it's his determination that wins over the doubtful Tyler, and leads to a real measure of growth and glory for both of them. Speaking of which, this may be my favorite Shia LaBeouf performance. It's been such a joy watching LaBeouf develop over the past few years into a really strong, interesting screen presence. Here, he's playing a pretty standard hard-case who softens up when somebody who needs him comes along. However, the way he interacts with and learns to take care of Zak is so gratifying to watch. It's cinematic male bonding at its finest.

Now, it's pretty obvious that the film was made to showcase Zack Gottsagen as an actor with Down's Syndrome, and there are certain limitations that the filmmakers deftly work around, as well as a pretty indulgent story and sensibility. However, in this case I don't think the sentiment is overdone, and the fantasy manages to be broadly appealing. I have no particular interest in wrestlers or boat trips down the Eastern seaboard, but the movie got me to connect with Zak and Tyler, and that made all the difference.

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