MANK REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Orson Welles’ classic 1941 feature, Citizen Kane, has been described as the greatest film of all time, with many people praising Welles’ superlative filmmaking skills and performance as Charles Foster Kane. David Fincher’s much-anticipated film, Mank, gives an insight into how the classic film was made, however, it doesn’t focus on Welles but Herman J. Mankiewicz who co-wrote the script with Welles. 

The story centres on the life of Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he writes the screenplay for Citizen Kane as well as his personal relationships with William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance) and Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried).

Fincher is known for creating twisted thrillers such as Se7en, Fight Club and compelling dramas such as The Social Network and Gone Girl. However, his latest film, Mank, is unlike anything he’s done before and is an insightful drama that explores how Mankiewicz’s Oscar winning script for the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane, was made. I can understand why Fincher wanted to create a feature film that explores how Mankiewicz came up with some of the ideas for his script as Mank is filled with fascinating characters and significant events in Mankiewicz’s life that inspired him to write the screenplay. Although I wouldn’t say that Mank is my favourite film of Fincher’s, it was refreshing to see the director do something different as, for over two decades, he’s proven himself to be a master at creating twisted thrillers. However, Mank proves that Fincher can create intriguing dramas. 

Many people probably associate Citizen Kane with Welles as he acted in, produced and directed it so they may be surprised by his limited screen time in Mank. He mostly communicates to Mankiewicz by phone, however, he occasionally makes an appearance. The decision to focus on Mankiewicz rather than Welles was right as the former is the more interesting than the latter. Although Mankiewicz is not the most likeable of characters, he’s fascinating to watch. Learning how he came up with some of the ideas for his script is what makes Mank such a compelling watch for the majority of its 132 minute runtime. 

Prior to watching Mank, I decided to watch Citizen Kane so I could better understand some of the characters and references to the classic 1941 film. I’m glad I did as I can imagine that, without having seen Citizen Kane, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed Mank as much. Those who have seen Citizen Kane will, most likely, appreciate what Fincher has created with Mank and the many references to the classic film. Although Mank is a well-made film, causal viewers searching for something simple and easy to watch on Netflix won’t find it with Fincher’s latest film. While I do understand the reasoning behind releasing Mank on Netflix due to the majority of cinemas still closed, I would have loved to have watched Mank on the big screen as I frequently found myself distracted. This isn’t the film’s fault, just a personal preference of mine. 

Out of all of the films he’s directed, Mank represents Fincher’s most visually stunning work yet. The film was shot on RED Monstrochrome 8K cameras and looks like a classic film that was made in the 1940s. Following the release of The Game in 1997, Fincher planned on making Mank his next film, however, the studio that was going to make it didn’t agree with his idea of shooting the film in Citizen Kane-detailed black and white. To add to the verisimilitude feel, Mank was shot at the Kember Campbell Ranch in Victorville, California, where Mankiewicz wrote Citizen Kane. Considering the ranch hadn’t changed much over the years, the location helped reflect the time period of the 1940s. Through its visuals and sound design, Mank transports viewers into the period of Hollywood of the 1930s and early 1940s. 

While Mank is impressive in terms of technicals, the entire film wouldn’t have been as enjoyable to watch if it wasn’t for the strong performances by its talented cast. Oldman has established himself as one of the most versatile actors working today and is known for portraying Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise, Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and for his Oscar winning performance as British prime minister Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. His role as Mankiewicz is probably one of the most challenging as little is known about the screenwriter. Nevertheless, Oldman continues to impress with his portrayal of Mankiewicz. Although Oldman wanted to wear elaborate prosthetic make-up to closely resemble Mankiewicz, he was persuaded otherwise by Fincher, who wanted minimal make-up in order to capture a more intimate performance. Although their characters have limited screen time, the supporting cast deliver strong performances. Lily Collins is delightful as Rita Alexander, Mankiewicz’s secretary from whom the character, Susan Alexander Kane is named after. For most of her acting career, Seyfried has become best known for her appearances in the teen comedy, Mean Girls, and in the joyful musical, Mamma Mia!, and the not-so-joyful musical, Les Miserables. However, Seyfried delivers one of her most impressive dramatic performances as Marion Davies, who was associated with the character of Susan, however, Mankiewicz reassures Davies that she wasn’t the inspiration behind the character. 

I can’t imagine Mank being overlooked by the Academy when the nominations are announced next year as, in my opinion, it’s one of the best films of the year. Mank thoroughly deserves to be nominated, especially for Fincher’s direction, Oldman’s performance, Erik Messerschmidt’s cinematography and the production design by Donald Graham Burt as that’s where the film excels the most.

Mank’s screenplay was written by Jack Fincher, the director’s father who passed away in 2003. Many of the actors have opened up about David Fincher’s perfectionist directing and how he would shoot at least a hundred takes. The film clearly means a lot to him so I can understand that he wanted to create a film that lives up to his standards. Fortunately, with Mank, Fincher has succeeded in creating a film that provides viewers with an insight into how Citizen Kane’s script was formed. 

8/10