We, as film fans, love to debate what the greatest movie of all time is. It’s easily the most subjective question to ask because everyone will say something that’s different. Now, when the greatest movie of all time is brought up, movies like The Godfather, Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia and The Wizard of Oz will be mentioned my many, and there’s a solid argument to claim that either one of those movies can take that title. However, there’s been one movie that has stood the test of time ever since the day it first premiered and the impact it has had on the film industry is unprecedented and that movie is simply titled, Citizen Kane. Have you ever been in a room with film geeks and one of them says “Lord of the Kings is the Citizen Kane of fantasy movies” or another might say “The Dark Knight is the Citizen Kane of comic-book movies?” That’s the impact that Citizen Kane has had for decades upon decades. It may not be everyones favorite movie, but even the biggest film fans would argue that Citizen Kane is the Citizen Kane of all movies. Now, what’ll really make the biggest film fan blood pumping is the idea of a movie about, not only the making of the movie, but the development and very early stages of the film before the start of production. Mank is the latest directorial effort from writer and director David Fincher and his put out what is the, frankly, the best movie of 2020. Mank is an exquisite and beautiful that felt like a love letter to the old fashioned process of Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. Not only are the performances from Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried phenomenal, but David Fincher has orchestrated a tale for film fans to beautifully cherish for the rest of time just like Citizen Kane.
Centered in the 1930s, Mank simply tells the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz, the blistering and alcoholic screenwriter and social critic, who’s on the verge of completing the script for Citizen Kane.
Having a new movie to be in black and white might be a harder sell for the average movie goer, but for the die hard film fans, they’re going to eat this up. Mank could have been in color and it would have been totally fine, but it being in black and white makes it remarkable. The experience watching Mank almost feels as if the viewer is transported back in time and that’s credited to the style and approach that Fincher went for this movie. The camera movement, sound work and the composition had the techniques of being made in the 1930s, even though this is a movie made in the modern day, and this creative choice is beautifully handled and it showcased how much appreciation that David Fincher has for this time period. Knowing David Fincher’s sensibilities as a director and as a storyteller, his style drips off the screen seamlessly in Mank. The wide extend takes, the slow and effective camera pans to each character in one room and even the visuals are a stunning rendition of Fincher’s style but also as an effective demonstration of a period piece. The attention to detail with the production design in Mank is one of the other aspects that makes this movie stand out even more. The cars, the clothes and even the smell of cigarettes were wonderful things that this movie handled with class and thoughtfulness.Every moving frame and exchange of dialogue exempted so much talent from Fincher and the powerful nature of great filmmaking. Even with this movie being colorless, Fincher has hit fingerprints all over this movie, and it works in spades.
Gary Oldman is one of Hollywood’s greatest actors. At a time, there was an argument to be made that we was the best actor that had yet to win an Oscar and thankfully, Darkest Hour kind of put that to rest when he took home an award for Best Actor that year it was nominated. Whether it’s his role as Commissioner Gordon, Dracula or as Norman Stansfield, Gary Oldman has a wonderful way of commanding the screen in either a leading or supporting role and Mank is no exception. His portrayal of Herman J. Mankiewicz is elegant, comical, yet there’s also this tragic nature that Oldman hauntingly and marvelously brings to the screen that puts it just above his performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Amanda Seyfried, also, proves that this is a talent that we’ve kind of slept on for a good number of years. She perfectly shares the screen with Oldman and manages to go wonderfully up against an Oscar winner, like a Gary Oldman. The rest of cast is also quite good, but Oldman and Seyfried steal the show.
The approach and the significance of this movie opens so many doors to the development and creative struggles that went into to what’s claimed as the greatest movie ever made. It’s amazing to see it unfold. Mank is a beautiful and authentic recital of showcasing the process of movie making, depicting history and becoming and instant classic that’s full of tremendous performances, superb music and remarkable filmmaking from David Fincher. This the best movie of the year.
My grade for Mank: A+
Zane's take at the Cinema's 