Review of Mank (2020) by Everett — 06 Dec 2020

I was touched that Fincher paid tribute to his father by making this movie from his script. I even did the homework beforehand, having been warned that the film wouldn't make much sense if I didn't; but, having been an industry writer myself, I did wonder: It should be there in the film, whether it's a period piece or not.

That's the writer's job. Great films find a way to work it all in. Nonetheless, I looked forward to it. But I have to say that, despite some fine performances, this film is very overrated. Besides being esoteric, it's so repetitive (e.

G., we know immediately that Mank's an alcoholic yet it's hammered home time and time again); it's overly long; at least half of the characters are redundantly stereotypical; and worst of all, at least for me, the characters fail to engage.

I just didn't care about them. Oh, maybe Mank near the end (a few good lines that I could certainly identify with), but his clever flippant dialogue throughout the movie was tiresome and, again, repetitive.

What a shame, to have so much talent given over to material that very few can understand or justify giving 2 hrs. 11 min. to. I wish I didn't feel this way. But I also wish the reviewers who fall all over themselves to praise this film, anxious to appear "in the know," would keep in mind that non-industry viewers are hungry for meaningful, compelling stories with relatable, well-drawn characters.

Fine material with high production values so rarely gets made these days. Even original material that's simply entertaining has a place in these dark times. Me? I kept checking to see how soon it would be over.