Mank Movie Review - Second Chances

David Fincher spotlights the man behind the words of Citizen Kane with mixed results.

If you are even remotely interested in movies and like to know everything related to them, you might have come across Citizen Kane or must have heard and seen it in countless best movies list. Roger Ebert included it in his "Great Movies" list, and Pauline Kael sparked controversy around its screenplay credit in her book-length essay titled Raising Kane. Mank's official synopsis leads us to expect a biographical drama around the making (and the surrounding controversies) of one of the greatest films ever made. But on the contrary, Mank - directed by David Fincher and based on the screenplay written by his late father Jack Fincher - is about the life of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman). The Citizen Kane aspect is the shell around Herman's alcoholic condition. Orson Welles (played by Tom Burke) remains in the back of our minds.

Like Citizen Kane, Fincher's film moves in a non-linear fashion using screenplay format: EXT. PARAMOUNT STUDIOS - DAY - 1930 (FLASHBACK). The present timeline has Mank and his broken leg resting at Victorville - Guest Ranch. One of the flashbacks shows how the accident occurred. After getting absolute creative freedom from the studios, Orson Welles hires Mank to write the screenplay for his new film. Mank dictates his words to Rita Alexander (Lily Collins), his secretary who can type 100 perfect words a minute. And thus began the creation of what Mank's friends later describe as the best story written by him.

Kane wizardry aside, Mank takes us to the Hollywood of '40s where Mayer (Arliss Howard) delineates the magic of movies, "This is a business where the buyer gets nothing for his money but memory," and refers to MGM as Mayer's gantze mishpokhe, Mayer's whole family. "You got a problem, come to Papa." He then asks a group of workers, his "family," to roll back salaries. For Mank, this sight is not the most disgraceful thing. The whole scene is charged with a superb tracking shot and tinted with humor. A conversation between Mank and an elevated Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried) is impressively edited. Each cut - from one face to another - elevates the excitement in their words. These visual techniques would satisfy those alienated from the central controversy or have no interest in knowing who is who and what is what. You might not find yourself Googling about Mank-Welles dispute, but you will indeed find love in Mank's gorgeous black and white cinematography.

As for my experience, I was not able to grab Herman. Gary Oldman gives a good performance, and so do the others, particularly Amanda Seyfried. And still, I found myself eluded from the pain, the inspiration, and the fight carried by Mr. Herman. He asks his wife Sara (Tuppence Middleton), "Why do you put up with me?" I asked myself, "Why am I watching this?" "Why am I not involved?" "Why am I feeling alone like Sara at a party where her husband leaves to go after Marion?" I am not sure if I can put my finger on it. Dear reader, it's understandable if this looks like a cheap shot at criticism but believe me when I say I DON'T KNOW. There is a void staring right at my face, and I am unable to locate it. Alas, I was more than an arm's length away from Mank, and I don't know why I felt what I felt! The words escape my grip as I try to run my fingers across the keyboard. Mank also does not side much with Welles. "Houseman's bringing my notes. Think about 'em," Welles says, but then what? We don't see any collaboration. What happened with the notes?

Perhaps, the question - who actually wrote Citizen Kane? - is futile. Does anyone really care? Released way back in 1941, the film still holds that "magic." Its essence remains undiluted with changing time, making it grand and a certified classic. Here is a film that aged well. Why? Its theme dealing with lost childhood remains relevant. Any viewer who watches it for the first time (or for the millionth time) is more likely to retain the wonderful experience. As for the writing credit, no one today is so interested in seeking that answer. And while Mank smartly deviates from dissension, focusing more on the individual, the final product did little for me to term it as a complete immersion.

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