Independent Film Review – I’m Charlie Walker

When is a true story not a true story? When the opening card says “Based on a true story” and the closing one says “All characters and events in this film, even those based on real individuals, are completely fictional.” So is I’m Charlie Walker a true story or not? Well…yes and no. The story is set in San Francisco in the early seventies. Charlie Walker (Mike Colter) is a wannabe entrepreneur. He’s become disenchanted with bricklaying ruining his hands. He has managed to acquire a truck and is trying to break into the trucking business. The problem is, in a word, racism. 

There is trucking work to be done but the problem is that the people in control of allocating the jobs won’t give any of it to black drivers. Then comes the oil spillage that changes everything. On the 18^th January 1971 two tankers, the Arizona Standard and the Oregon Standard, ran into each other in San Francisco Bay. This caused an 800,000 gallon spillage which threatened sensitive natural habitats both inside and outside the bay, including the Bolinas Lagoon. Standard Oil ended up spending more than $1million on the clean-up and several environmental organisations had their origins in the spill cleanup.

Maybe You’d Think Things Would Be Different

All the stuff around the oil spillage is true. I can’t be so sure about the levels of racism though. I mean, my perception of San Francisco was that it was always a laid back, liberal city. All hippies, gay rights, and free love. I knew that there were, indeed still are, racial problems in the USA but thought that the West Coast was more relaxed. Still, as one of the pre-credit cards says, “There is no difference between Mississippi and San Francisco if your face is black”, Charlie Walker, 1971, and I have to assume that he would know. 

As the clean up effort gets underway the amount of trucks needed increases. As the drivers become more in demand they also become more picky about what work they want to do and that leaves some routes that no one wants to do. Which is where Charlie Walker comes in. He will do anything in order to get his foot on the bottom rung of the ladder. That doesn’t mean that everyone suddenly becomes colour blind. But it does mean that he is in a position to call a few of the shots. I’m Charlie Walker does end up with a short talking head peace from the real Charlie Walker; the film was shot in 2022 and Mr Walker died in 2023 aged 89.

This Being San Francisco

So, how does I’m Charlie Walker measure up? Mike Colter leads an accomplished cast. He brings the same commanding presence to the role of Charlie Walker as he did to his portrayal of Luke Cage in the MCU adjacent Netflix series of the same name. There’s a charming cameo from former mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown as a taxi driver who bounces round a few philosophical ideas with Charlie as the film winds down. Safiya Fredericks gives a strong performance as Ann, Charlie’s wife who has to hold their family together while also dealing with attempts to ruin Charlie’s reputation.

But not everything is wonderful.  The storytelling is often simplistic, glossing over the complexities of the real-life events while Charlie Walker is portrayed as a somewhat one-dimensional hero. He lacks the nuance and internal struggles that would make him more compelling. But that could all be down to the short (under 80 minutes) running time. Another problem is that the story of a Black man struggling against a racist administration is not a unique one; the Anthony Mackie/Samuel L Jackson film The Banker (2020) and the Netflix miniseries Self Made starring Octavia Spencer are just two that spring to mind.

I’m Charlie Walker gets a digital release on 11^th November 2024 from Miracle Media.

Independent Film Grade: B-