Gary Oldman's performance of Herman Mankowitz was amazing.
However, the scripts portrayal of "Mank" was 100% wrong. While the movie does show he was an alcoholic, gambler and womanizer - they showed him being a functional alcoholic, womanizing gambler. It was the Hollywood system propping his ego and his flaws up because he could write. That was his only aspect of his life he could "function" on.
Meanwhile, the rest of the script has every single character that is not Herman Mankowitz is written and directed as cardboard cutouts. They had dialogue that served as mostly dramatic foils and/or cheap exposition.. of which served mostly to make "Mank" look like a fully functional and decent human being to be around. There was zero depth, soul or even a spark of a real character in anyone else in the movie.
The ONLY thing the film had going for it is Fincher and the script banking on most people knowing who William Randolph Hearst ("Pops") Irving Thalberg (beloved MGM producer) Marrion Davies (Hearsts mistress) and Louis B Mayer (the 3rd M of MGM) Hearsts portrayal was stiff ..but somewhat accurate as to who he really was. Marion Davies however, was a staunch conservative.. in the movie she was almost siding with this socialism movement that tried be subtlety in the background.. Thalberg's portrayal was the worst however, he served as a mostly the main foil for "Mank" when Mankowitz himself was ruining his own life.
However, the scripts portrayal of "Mank" was 100% wrong. While the movie does show he was an alcoholic, gambler and womanizer - they showed him being a functional alcoholic, womanizing gambler. It was the Hollywood system propping his ego and his flaws up because he could write. That was his only aspect of his life he could "function" on.
Meanwhile, the rest of the script has every single character that is not Herman Mankowitz is written and directed as cardboard cutouts. They had dialogue that served as mostly dramatic foils and/or cheap exposition.. of which served mostly to make "Mank" look like a fully functional and decent human being to be around. There was zero depth, soul or even a spark of a real character in anyone else in the movie.
The ONLY thing the film had going for it is Fincher and the script banking on most people knowing who William Randolph Hearst ("Pops") Irving Thalberg (beloved MGM producer) Marrion Davies (Hearsts mistress) and Louis B Mayer (the 3rd M of MGM) Hearsts portrayal was stiff ..but somewhat accurate as to who he really was. Marion Davies however, was a staunch conservative.. in the movie she was almost siding with this socialism movement that tried be subtlety in the background.. Thalberg's portrayal was the worst however, he served as a mostly the main foil for "Mank" when Mankowitz himself was ruining his own life.