Mank

Orson Welles made his screen debut as the uncredited narrator of 1940's The Swiss Family Robinson. Nobody seems to acknowledge that perhaps because 1.) he was uncredited, 2.) he wasn't on screen, and 3.) it wasn't Citizen Kane. As his first film as filmmaker and star approaches its 80th anniversary, it's time to acknowledge his co-writer, and some say, only writer, Herman J. Mankiewicz. The movie is called Mank.

In 1940, "Mank" (Gary Oldman) is hired by Welles (Tom Burke) to co-write Citizen Kane. He's holed up in a house in the desert with his secretary, Rita Alexander (Lily Collins) and Mercury Theater producer John Houseman (Sam Troughton). He dictates the script to the former and the script is supervised by the latter. They've got about 60 days to finish it.

EXT. HOLLYWOOD - DAY AND NIGHT (1930-1937)

We also see Mank's pre-Kane days as a writer for MGM. He and his brother, Joseph L. Mankiewicz (Tom Pelphery) rise up in Hollywood. We also see him mingle with William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance) and his mistress, Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), the real life inspirations for Kane's Charles Foster Kane and his wife, Susan Alexander. Mank's past experiences shape the script and inspire him to confront Welles for credit.

David Fincher dusts off a script his late father, Jack, wrote ages ago. It's a good script even if its central thesis has long been disputed. One thing it gets right is its chronology; slug lines (like the one above) denote Mank's pre-Kane days. No getting lost in time jumps thanks to editor Kirk Baxter. But on the subject of thesis, we don't see Hearst try to stop Mank from writing Kane, not to the extent that he antagonized Welles in real life. The finale skips from Mank delivering the script to Welles to them winning the Oscar for Best Screenplay.

The film is a great movie to look at. The Black-and-White cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt almost looks straight out of the 1940s. Almost, because it's not in the Academy Ratio. But there's even cigarette burns for reel changes. The visual effects team deserve praise for its practically invisible work. Production Designer Donald Graham Burt helps make Old Hollywood look intimidating. It's just waiting for a film noir to happen. It's all set to another great Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score that's equally creepy and sentimental.

What about the cast? Oldman as Mank mostly dominates the film. We see how he became a disillusioned alcoholic and how he sobered up to co-write his masterpiece. It's a compelling arc throughout the time jumping. It's mostly dominating because there's a good supporting cast too. Seyfried, Collins and Tuppence Middleton (as Mank's wife "Poor" Sara) are strong presences. Arliss Howard also stands out as Louis B. Mayer, who tries to sell himself as a "family man" but is subtly failing. Burke as Welles is a dominating force in his few scenes. Perhaps the most surprising cameo is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) as Upton Sinclair. Jamie McShane portrays Shelly Metcalf, the film's most sympathetic minor character.

Mank is another fine entry in Netflix's streaming catalog. It's an interesting story about the origins of one of history's most acclaimed pictures. It's also a compelling story about a man finding meaning and passion in his life. That's a good angle no matter which side of the authorship question you're on.

Mine: Welles and Mank deserve equal credit.

It's worth a chill on Netflix. You still got time before the Oscars.