This film is based on the life of Jimmie Fails and his friendship with Joe Talbot. They have been pals since childhood. A young man searches for home in the changing city of San Francisco. It seems to have left him behind? A Victorian house in the Fillmore District is the center of the story and it is the real star of the film. The house is unusual because it has a tower with the roof resembling a witch’s hat. Until Jimmie was six years old, he lived in this house with his father. It was inherited from Jimmie’s grandfather and the house was built in 1946 by Jimmie’s grandfather. Jimmie’s father abandoned the house because he lost it. It was without an owner until a couple moved into it. Jimmy trespasses on the property to repair and contribute to its upkeep. It doesn’t go well with the current residents.
It really feels like you are personally in San Francisco while you are watching this film!! It will be interesting to see how the Bay Area feels about the portrayal of their city?? Themes talked about are gentrification, home ownership and how black men are supposed to navigate friendships. The San Francisco individual neighborhoods are like little cities of their own.
Home ownership can be difficult in SF unless you have deep pockets full of money!! Currently hot properties can sell for about 18% above the list price and can sell in about 13 days. Average homes can receive 2 offers, sell for 8% above list and take about 21 days to sell. There are bidding wars on the hot properties and the prices can really escalate over the advertised prices. The sale prices for the month of December averaged $1.35 million and $962 per square foot. As an example, a house built in 1930 purchased in that year for $30,000 can be listed as is for $1 million!! Because of it's current run down condition and if there are no buyers, the house goes off the market. The sellers can hire an architect and renovate for two years. Then, the house goes back on the market at a $2.5 million price. There are two interested parties and a bidding war result is that the house sells for $3 million cash!! Workers in tech have this kind of cash!! There are many people homeless because they want to be but others don’t have the resources to buy at current prices or pay the steep home rental costs!!
121 min, Drama directed and written by Joe Talbot also written by Jimmie Fails, Rob Richert with Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock, Danny Glover, Willie Hen, Jamal Trulove, Antoine Redus, Isiain Lalime, Jordan Gomes, Maximilienne Ewalt, Michael O’Brien Daewon Song.
Note: Imdb 7.4 out of 10 with 6944 views, 93% with 192 critics 84% audience with 505 ratings, Roger Ebert 4* Odie Henderson, RollingStone 4 1/2* David Fear, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Simran Hans, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 260 reviews, Letterboxd 4* out of 5* with 374 reviews, Metacritic 83 out of 100 with 39 critics (35 positive, mixed 4) User Score 7.2 out of 10 (27 positive, mixed 7, negative 5).
Special Note: San Francisco Fillmore neighborhood based rapper San Quinn makes a cameo. He is buying Twix from and arguing with the candy lady. Uncle Ricky is played by Daewon Song, he is a professional skateboarder. Director Joe Talbot makes a cameo appearance when Jimmie is passing out flyers about Mont’s play to people on the streets. Also, the lead singer of the San Francisco punk band Dead Kennedys, Jello B infra has a cameo role.
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