Mank - Movie Review

Explore the life of a screenwriter in 1930s Hollywood as he composes his masterpiece. If you're interested in movies about old Hollywood or just want to watch every Oscar hopeful, then Mank is the movie for you. 

FAST FACTS

REPORTED BUDGET: $20 - $30 million

BOX OFFICE: $99,772

ROTTON TOMATOES CRITICS / AUDIENCE SCORE: 87% / 72%

CINEMA SCORE: N/A

END CREDIT SCENE: No

NON-SPOILER REVIEW

This David Fincher directed flick is centered around the life of Herman Mankiewicz, aka Mank (played by Gary Oldman), offering a behind the scenes look at the events leading up to the creation of what many consider to be the greatest movie of all time, Citizen Kane.

The movie features some other major players of early Hollywood, which include: Marion Davies (played by Amanda Seyfried), Louis B. Mayer (played by Arliss Howard), Orson Welles (played by Tom Burke), and William Randolph Hearst (played by Charles Dance) among others.  

If you are not aware of who some of these people are, then allow me to provide some historical context. 

Herman (Mank) Mankiewicz was a prominent writer who is credited with ninety-five films on IMDB.  

Marion Davies was a well known actress in the 1920s and 1930s who was most famous as a comedic silent film star. 

Orson Welles was a man of many talents, but is primarily know for producing The War of the Worlds (a radio broadcast that fooled many people into thinking the world was actually in peril). He also co-wrote, directed, and acted in Citizen Kane.

Louis B. Mayer made large sums of money showing films on the east coast before partnering with Samuel Goldwyn and Marcus Loew to form MGM Studios, which is still a prominent producer of films today. 

William Randolph Hearst may be the greatest name in the newspaper industry, but he also had interests in movies and politics. Involved romantically with Marion Davies, he was a major power player in California. Citizen Kane is primarily based on Hearst. 

Now that you've been caught up on the background of some of these legends of a older era, you're ready to enjoy the movie. 

OVERALL RECOMMENDATION

The movie offers an intriguing glimpse to both the politics of the day as well as the politics of Hollywood in a beautifully shot black and white setting. The graphics and transitions will give you a sense of being transported back in time. Gary Oldman will certainly garner an Oscar nomination for his leading role, and I also expect the film to be nominated for Best Picture. There may be some technical awards as well considering the aesthetic of the movie.

My Rating: B

While this movie will surely be an Oscar darling due to its topic matter and artistic flare, the movie can be a bit slow at times for my taste. If you're interested in this time period or genre, you'll love it. If not, then it may struggle to keep your attention. The movie is streaming on Netflix.

SPOILER REVIEW

 The movie frequently flashes back to earlier moments in Mank's life as it tells the story of how his masterpiece was made. Mank introduces you to a cavalcade of early Hollywood elite as he transverses through movie sets and studio offices. Set between World Wars and during the Great Depression, politics are featured quite prominently. Talks of Hitler and the growing German threat, Socialism vs. Communism, and the plight of struggling studios and their employees during a time of financial hardship sound familiar to today's news cycle with our political climate and the reality of many theaters being closed indefinitely. 

Mank suffers from an all too familiar vice: alcoholism. Although it is not a secret, there are still moments where it stands out and threatens to end his filmmaking career. Orson Welles actually hired someone specifically to keep Mank sober during the writing of Citizen Kane. Another hindrance to Mank's career was the fact that he was quite cynical about Hollywood and despised a lot about the culture, which is made evident by some of his interactions with Mayer, Welles, and Davies. 

Mank's contempt for William Randolph Hearst fuels inspiration for his greatest work, which he wins a coveted Oscar for in 1942. While Mank would end up being nominated for an Oscar the following year, his career was coming to an end. He would die at the young age of fifty-five, just eleven years after the release of Citizen Kane.

Although Orson Welles is the more well-known name, no one can deny Herman Mankiewicz's impact on Hollywood. His legacy will live forever as his movies are discussed and taught in film classes for the foreseeable future.