Shot in swooning monochrome, bringing Old Hollywood to life in splendid detail and powered by yet another smashing showcase from the always reliable Gary Oldman, Mank chronicles the life of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the script for Citizen Kane and also offers an interesting glimpse into the influence & inner workings of 1930s Hollywood industry through his shrewd eyes & scathing wit.
Directed by David Fincher, the film marks his return to the cinematic medium after a gap of 6 years and is adapted from a screenplay written by his late father. While it is a departure from his forte, Fincher's direction does retain the sublime craftsmanship & technical perfection that goes into his works and effortlessly transports the viewers to its period setting. The script sculpts the characters with deft care but the narrative still lacks the fluidity necessary for a story like this.
The crisp black-n-white photography, methodical camerawork, ideal lighting, clever humour, smart editing & fitting score certainly enrich the experience but the relaxed pace & unduly focus on flashbacks also makes the ride a bit tedious. Performances are top-notch. Oldman plays the eponymous role from inside out, Amanda Seyfried is captivating in her role, and Tom Burke embodies Orson Welles to near-perfection, nailing the physicality & mannerism of the wunderkind to a tee.
Overall, Mank is an ambitious & audacious venture that presents David Fincher in complete control of his craft but it also isn't a tale that's going to satisfy everyone's palate. More a withering study of power, corruption & politics within the filmmaking industry than a love letter to cinema, Fincher's latest is gripping when covering the writing process of Orson Welles' debut feature but loses steam whenever it reverts to an earlier timeline. All in all, Mank has its merits but unlike Fincher's best-known efforts, it fails to leave behind an indelible imprint.
