“Pops,
this is
Herman Mankiewicz,
but we
have to call him
Mank.”
Mank (2020) had a fairly interesting story (which possibly is not entirely true, but whatever, Hollywood does that) told in an overly-stylized way that distracted from said story.
Movies made in the 30s–40s were heavily influenced by vaudevillian styles, which tend to grate on me because they feel so ham fisted, and I know Fincher was trying to recreate this, as well as the noir techniques Orson Welles would employ …
So half the time – through deep focus, cameo lighting and long takes – I didn’t know what they were saying because of the way they were talking, but it ended up not mattering.
The first half of the movie felt pointless and parts of it only became significant in hindsight when it finally got into the political gravity of Mank’s motivation behind writing Citizen Kane (1941).
Amanda Seyfried was great as Marion Davies, but her character was almost entirely irrelevant to the story. You could have cut out most of the scenes with her and the movie would more or less be the same.
Gary Oldman is 63 and they cast him in the role of a 44-year-old who had flashbacks to when he was 34.
The real Mank and his wife were born the same year, but the actress who plays her is 30 years younger than Oldman.
*shakes head*
Also, were they not allowed to say Citizen Kane? In the award scene when he and Welles are announced as the winner, I thought I heard it under the loud applause and sound editing but I could be wrong.
Yes, we all know it’s Kane and don’t really need to be told that but I swear it wasn’t said once .…
*but wait there’s mor*
No, there really isn’t.
Just
stop
what
you’re
doing
and
look
at
this
bird.
—emily duchaine
Flommist Emily Duchaine lives in the Pacific Northwest. She likes to drink mead, learn about sharks, and listen to the Talking Heads. She pretends to be a professional businesswoman most days. Copyright © 2021 Emily Duchaine.
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