“Mank” Film Review

By: Keaton Marcus

In terms of Oscar contenders for this marvelous year, Netflix and Amazon have both gone head-to-head in producing a few. The former hit us with the solid Da Five Bloods, and the mediocre The Trial of the Chicago 7. The latter has given us both Mangrove and Lovers Rock, which sadly won’t be eligible for the awards ceremony despite their clear superiority. Nearing the finale of 2020, David Fincher’s Mank dropped on Netflix today, and while it definitely is a solid movie, I was expecting something far better. With Gary Oldman leading, Fincher directing, and a worthy subject under its belt, the film seemed to have everything going for it. Fortunately, I can appreciate the technical aspects. The cinematography and the black-and-white look truly influenced my opinion, along with the sharp editing and tight, focused direction. In terms of structure, Mank also thrives, going from past, present and future effortlessly. Oldman also gives a decent performance, and will likely be up for Best Actor this year. Flaws lie with the on-and-off pacing, mediocre dialogue with occasional wit, and a distinct lack of Orson Welles. It did succeed on making me want to see Citizen Kane, however, which is high up on my watchlist currently.

It’s 1930s Hollywood and the movie industry is blooming as the tensions that would lead to World War II have started to arisen. We follow screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Oldman), a former New York journalist and critic who held court at the Algonquin Round Table. After a car crash, Mank is living at the North Verde Ranch because Orson Welles (Tom Burke), the 24-year-old director commissioned by RKO Pictures to make whatever the heck he wants, has decided to bring him there. Welles gives him a call, and much to Mank’s distaste, has shortened the screenplay deadline from 90 days to only 60, giving him a matter of two months to write the future classic. He sets out to work, dictating the words to Rita Alexander (Lilly Collins), a British stenographer and hand-holder who’s been assigned to him. With only ninety pages down two weeks before the deadline, Mankiewicz struggles with his alcoholism and races to finish the script as his troubled past begins to catch up with him.

Oldman is most definitely the standout here, and his delectable droll will give the movie one of its many potential nominations. Disappointingly, I didn’t exactly thing he was awards worthy, but in terms of what we have seen in 2020, he gives one of the best all year with little-to-no competition. His acting reminded me of his outing in 2017’s Darkest Hour when he portrayed Winston Churchill, a portly, older man fond of liquor and tobacco as well. While the script isn’t quite up to par, Oldman embodied the charming drunk, both indulged and indulgent, and it’s great to see such a big actor in an anticipated movie in this terrible year. The rest of the cast were more-or-less sidelined, but one performance I did particularly enjoy was Amanda Seyfried. She brought a sense of glamour and realism to the movie, and the actress’ natural charisma worked in conjunction with the dazzling costume design. She plays actress Marion Davies, and I felt most of the wit and sharply written scenes had her in the spotlight. Unfortunately, Lilly Collins is generally wasted, and obviously, I needed to see far more of Tom Burke’s Orson Welles. I know almost nothing about the director, and 10 minutes of screen time didn’t exactly help.

David Fincher’s direction is the one thing that I will truly appraise, as his style truly thrives here when he’s able to input his fast-paced, entertaining, focused style. The filmmaker has grown to be one of my favorites, with the relentlessly entertaining, beautifully-acted Gone Girl, the impeccably written The Social Network, the brutal, uncompromising The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and one of the most thrilling crime dramas ever: Zodiac. This is undoubtedly his weakest film on the list, and I have yet to see his supposed masterpieces like Seven and Fight Club, but five is enough to solidly rank them. Refraining from handheld camera has always been a favorite of Fincher’s, and I absolutely love his very precise, well-framed and clean filmmaking quality that not many have. The overrated style of handheld camera work simply bugs me, and it’s always terrific to see something made with a sense of class. The screenwriting was excellent in parts, but the flare was lacking, and that in tandem with the sluggish pacing in the middle made moments unbearable. Written by Jack Fincher, David’s late father, does bring a certain edge to it all that was similar to Aaaron Sorkin’s style of writing. But with all the pressure put on the fast-talking characters and wittiness, I could have used a better script overall.

The final opinion is: David Fincher’s Mank could have been alleviated by better attention payed towards its supporting cast and improved pacing, but high-class direction, a solid lead performance from Gary Oldman, and Oscar-worthy cinematography should win audiences over…$TREAM IT

Rated: R (for language)

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes

Directed By: David Fincher