Last Updated on July 30, 2021
It has been over five years since David Fincher has graced us with a major motion picture and if you think he might've lost some of his touch since directing GONE GIRL back in 2014, the early social media response to his potential Oscar contender, MANK, should assure you that Fincher is still one of the best in the game working today.
MANK is a very personal film for Fincher as it comes from a screenplay written by his late father, Jack Fincher. It's a story about old Hollywood, where Fincher is allowed to recapture the era of the 1930s and 40s through the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman), the screenwriter who wrote the screenplay for CITIZEN KANE. Although director Orson Welles later tried to take most of the credit, the film will explore all the muddied waters that led to that film's creation while also putting a focus on his struggle with alcoholism, his wandering eye toward actress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), and his conflicted ties to newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance).
The film has Oscar written all over it and given the early response on social media, Fincher may want to have a speech prepared because he could be the one to beat when the envelopes are opened. It's a very odd year and it may be hard to view Oscar season in the traditional sense but MANK is looking like one to stand out in the crowd. MANK debuts on Netflix on December 4, 2020, and will be playing in select theaters in November. You can check out some of the social media reactions to the film below!
David Fincher's #Mank is phenomenal. Everything from the brilliant sound design to the amazing performances makes it one of the best films of 2020. Cinephiles are going to LOVE this movie. pic.twitter.com/WmmAvgIJGJ
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) October 30, 2020
My MANK feelings:
I found it beautiful and inspiring.
It’s about making the decision to turn away from everything you know, everything that sustains you, when you realize how wrong it is.
It’s one thing to burn it all down. Even harder when you’re standing in the center of it. pic.twitter.com/CtNwD0Ook4
— Anthony Breznican (@Breznican) October 30, 2020
MANK: Exceptional craftsmanship and a strong turn from Amanda Seyfried, but also an obsession with picking and choosing historical bits that will likely rankle the very cinephiles it was ostensibly made for, plus more Upton Sinclair chatter than anyone would ever, EVER need. ????????
— Kate Erbland (@katerbland) October 30, 2020
Now that the Mank embargo is over…you guys already knew this was made for me. And you too, if you're into hardcore film history brought to life by a director and writer who both clearly loved digging into it. Not a sentimental movie about H'wood, but, in its way, a joyful one.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) October 30, 2020
the thing about MANK is it’s less a movie about the making of Citizen Kane than it is about the circumstances that inspired the movie and those circumstances are watching capitalism corrupt in the midst of a depression
— Esther Zuckerman (@ezwrites) October 30, 2020
On paper, David Fincher’s MANK is a movie I *should* love, but instead just admire. Incredibly well crafted, shot, acted. But the story left me cold. I now know more about Mank’s feelings toward the 1934 California gubernatorial race than I do his feelings toward Orson Welles.
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) October 30, 2020
People always talk about Fincher's technical genius but he also has a way with actors. MANK is Gary Oldman's film but every role is perfectly cast and maybe Amanda Seyfried will get the attention she deserves. Tom Pelphrey and Lily Collins also make the most of their screen time. https://t.co/uoCbJaLvLw
— Jen-see-you-in-hell Riley (@jenelleriley) October 30, 2020
MANK is a peculiar labyrinth of a movie, a thrilling & unpredictable approach to deconstructing Hollywood history in its own language. No, you won’t get a definitive CITIZEN KANE backstory (& Orson emerges relatively unscathed); you’ll get a remarkable window into what it means.
— erickohn (@erickohn) October 30, 2020
#MANK is beautifully shot. Erik Messerschmidt's cinematography is exquisitely lush and Trish Summerville's costumes are fantastic. This is a craft-feast, and that score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is glorious. #MANK is exquisitely crafted and a visual delight. #OSCARS pic.twitter.com/h0FQOdFyyd
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) October 30, 2020
I love that David Fincher’s dad gets sole screenwriting credit on MANK (a good movie about how hard it is for movies to be good)
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) October 30, 2020
MANK is magnificent (manknificent?). Snappy, gorgeous, funny, and unapologetically political. Looks and sounds like an old movie in an old movie house, with audio that seems to echo off walls that aren’t actually there. #Mank @MankFilm pic.twitter.com/pu1QiDzA5t
— Chris Evangelista ???? (@cevangelista413) October 30, 2020
A first look at Mank confirms that Gary Oldman and David Fincher are likely Oscar nomination bound, but the surprise is Amanda Seyfried would may just crash the Supporting Actress party. As for Best Picture? Nomination sure…https://t.co/5m79j48YCS
— Gregory Ellwood – The Playlist ???? (@TheGregoryE) October 30, 2020
#Mank is visually stunning with gorgeous cinematography & incorporation of various filmmaking techniques. Strong script anchored by Oldman’s splendid performance. However, this film will speak to a certain niche of movie audience. #FilmTwitter pic.twitter.com/8fsriVdL5u
— Rosa #LatinxLens (@rosasreviews) October 30, 2020
#Mank is a remarkable sight to behold w/ each shot so meticulously well crafted you’ll want to pause the film often just to stare at this thing. A frenetic & authentic throwback that classic film buffs will adore. Are you a lover of provocative Hollywood stories? This is for you pic.twitter.com/39N7fLOOv5
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) October 30, 2020
David Fincher is in fine form with #Mank. It’s dazzling & made for cinephiles. A sharp, smart critique of golden era Hollywood & evocative dreamlike homage to perfection. Seyfried is winning. Erik Messerschmidt’s cinematography, a lavish affair. Editor Kirk Baxter earns top marks pic.twitter.com/c6GsK2muN2
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) October 30, 2020
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