Mank
Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard
Directed By: David Fincher
Rated: R
Anyone who reads my reviews already knows that David Fincher is my favorite director. Without The Social Network, I probably wouldn’t love film as much as I do today. His films (Gone Girl, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) are some of my favorite in recent memory, and I don’t think any director quite captives as he does. When I heard Mank would be released this year, I was thrilled. After countless theatrical delays, it was great to have a movie to look forward to.
Mank was written by Fincher’s father, Jack Fincher, as an ode to old Hollywood. It follows writer Herman Mankiewicz, an alcoholic who’s inclined to say whatever’s on his mind. After a car accident leaves him with a broken leg, Mank is approached by Orson Welles to write a script. Stuck in a bed with a broken leg and a fast-approaching deadline, Mankiewicz embarks on writing the biggest script of his career, Citizen Kane. Flashbacks take the viewer through different moments in the writer’s life and what led to the monumental script.
“You cannot capture a man’s entire life in two hours. all you can hope is to leave the impression of one.”
David Fincher knows he cannot possibly show all of Mank's life in a two-hour movie, so he models the film in the same narrative structure as Citizen Kane showing small vignettes of the writer’s life that all tie to Mank writing the script. Through flashbacks, we see him meet Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), work with Louis B. Mayer at MGM, and go to lavish dinners thrown by William Randolph Hearst. All of these moments in Mank’s life serve as the inspiration for the eventual script that will forever change the course of the cinematic world that he’s devoted his life to.
Fincher directs the film just like a classic 30s film. On a technical level, it’s brilliant. It looks just like a film from the era. The cinematography is stunning. The sound is mixed like a film from the 1930s, so the viewer feels like they are transported to the time period. The dialogue is razor-sharp, filled with witty lines and old dialogue like “Nertz” and “Jeepers.” (Is this the year we bring back Jeepers? Maybe.) The score by long time Fincher collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is gorgeous and perfectly fitting. I can easily see Mank being nominated for several Oscars when the time comes.
If you have not seen Citizen Kane recently, I highly recommend watching it before Mank. The film has many nods to the classic on both a visual and narrative level. Many critics have commented that this is David Fincher’s least “audience-friendly” film, and I would agree. Considering his last film was Gone Girl, this is a massive departure. It’s difficult to know if general audiences will find much to latch onto in a movie exploring the life of an alcoholic writer (that few have heard of) making his way through the world of screenwriting, Hollywood business deals, and 1930s politics.
As someone who loves the world of filmmaking, this is the type of movie focused on Hollywood history that I love. However, there are moments that the film juggled too many plot elements, even for me. For a movie that claimed to be about the writing of Citizen Kane, I really wanted to see a lot more of Mankiewicz writing Citizen Kane/his relationship with Orson Welles and less about the California Gubernational election of 1934. Yes, I understand that corrupt politics inspired the writing of Citizen Kane. However, moments of Mank ended up feeling like a retread of Trumbo. On that note, I wish that the editing was tighter. Certain scenes cut right when something drastic was about to happen. One major sequence in the third act involves a confrontation with William Randolph Hearst that’s juxtaposed with an Orson Welles confrontation. These two moments easily could have been shown separately. It would have helped the movie, in my opinion, if each scene got its own moment.
Editing aside, Gary Oldman is excellent as Mank, the witty bantering alcoholic who can’t keep his mouth shut. This is quite a turn from his recent Oscar-winning performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Oldman is funny, moving, and sad as the writer who’s drowning in alcoholism and the fear of being washed up. He doesn’t realize that his masterpiece is ahead of him. We never know what will come out of his mouth, but it’s sure to be something outlandish.
Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman in Mank. Photo Belongs to Netflix
Amanda Seyfried is incredible as Marion Davies, the actress who inspired Susan Alexander Kane in Citizen Kane. It’s some of the best work of her career. In many ways, Mank reminds me of Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, and Seyfried’s performance is similar to Cate Blanchett’s take on Katherine Hepburn. She shines as the classic movie star. She may not be in the movie a lot but leaves an impression. Her relationship with Mank is one of the most interesting aspects of the film.
Supporting actors that stand out include Lily Collins as Rita Alexander, Mank’s kind secretary (this is the year of Lily Collins), Charles Dance as the intimidating William Randolph Hearst, and Arliss Howard as Louis B. Mayer.
Mank does not prove itself to be David Fincher’s best film. However, filmmaking fans will enjoy this look at Old Hollywood that feels like it's been taken straight from the era. It’s a technical marvel from cinematography to sound design. Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried stand out with excellent performances in a behind-the-scenes look at the writing of Citizen Kane.
My Rating: 8/10