“Mank” is directed by Academy Award nominee David Fincher (director of “Fight Club” and “The Social Network”) and written by Fincher’s late father Jack Fincher based on the life of “Citizen Kane” screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (played by Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, “The Darkest Hours” and “The Dark Knight”). The film takes place in 1930s Hollywood where its being reevaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (aka “Mank”) as he races to finish the screenplay of “Citizen Kane.”
David Fincher is my favorite director of all time and this film only solidifies that stance for me. While “Mank” is definitely not his best film (there are about four others that I like more than this), it’s probably his most impressive. Unless you know beforehand that this was created in 2020, you’d think it was made in the 30s/40s. It feels, looks and even sounds exactly like it was made around the time of Mank and Orson Welles and the fact that Fincher was able to do that so flawlessly is incredible.
As the film points out at the very end, “Citizen Kane” was nominated for nine Oscars (Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design). “Mank” on the other hand I could see being nominated for even more. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Gary Oldman), Best Supporting Actress (Amanda Seyfried, “Mamma Mia!”), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Score, and probably most deservingly, Best Sound, are all deserved and entirely possible.
The sound design here is absolutely incredible and I would be shocked if Academy Award nominee Ren Klyce (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Fight Club,” “Knives Out”) doesn’t go home with his first Oscar. Yes, the dialogue and the way every single actor talks help make this film sound like it was from the 30s/40s, but his sound design is what truly makes it sound the way it is and it’s so impressive.
The cast is all great and Oldman does a great job capturing the ambitious drunk of Herman Mankiewicz. Seyfried is also incredible and honestly probably has a better chance at an Oscar nomination than Oldman due to how well she captures the spotlight in every scene she’s in. She’s not in it that much, but there’s something about her performance as Hollywood legend Marion Davies that’s just mesmerizing. I also want to give a shoutout to Lily Collins (“The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” and Emily in Paris) who is great as well.
Jack Fincher died in 2003 and he wrote this screenplay in the 90s and I think the reason why its taken so long for this film to be made is because I think the only people that are going to like this are film buffs. If you’ve never seen “Citizen Kane,” you are more than likely not going to get it, be bored, and probably turn it off before its even halfway through. I think it wasn’t until David Fincher started working with Netflix with his show Mindhunter that he finally got the chance to make this, and thank god he did.
Overall, “Mank” is just another reason to add to why David Fincher is my favorite director of all time and while non-cinephiles may not find much enjoyment in this, those that would will probably enjoy it as much as I do, and I would think the Academy would too.
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