“Citizen Kane”, for many cineastes the best film of all time, was released almost 80 years ago. The black and white strip by Hollywood’s young child prodigy Orson Welles was about the fictional media mogul Charles Kanein which the then powerful newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst was easy to recognize. The film garnered nine Academy Award nominations, including Welles for Best Director and Lead Actor. In the end, there was only one trophy for the script to share with Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz, an alcoholic but celebrated screenwriter.
With “Mank”, the director David Fincher (“Fight Club”, “The Social Network”, “Gone Girl”) now highlights the creation of the script against the backdrop of Hollywood’s vanities, intrigues and extravagant parties. A masterpiece in black and white, in the style of the 30s, with large film sets and a star ensemble, produced by Netflix.
The focus is not on Welles, but on Mank, the nickname of the writing genius Mankiewicz. The perfect role for Gary Oldman, who starred as Winston Churchill won the Oscar for Best Actor in “The Darkest Hour”. The Brit plays Mankiewicz with casual charm, provocative wit and a penchant for hard liquor.
In “Mank” the film hero is tied to the bed after a car accident. A young secretary (Lily Collins) is supposed to type down his torrent of words and keep him from drinking. Welles (Tom Burke) only appears in a few scenes and puts pressure on the script to be finished quickly.
In flashbacks, the film leads back from the 1940s writing scenes to Hollywood’s 30s. Stars like frolicking at the legendary Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California Greta Garbo, Bette Davis and Charlie Chaplin. The grizzled Hearst (Charles Dance) has had a long-term relationship with starlet Marion Davies. Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”) Shines with her blond curly hairstyle and cheeky charm in the role of lover.
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