MANK : Tuesday 24th November 2020.

'MANK' which I saw at my local independent movie theatre this week, is an M Rated American biographical drama film Directed and Co-Produced by the multi-award winning and nominated David Fincher, whose previous film making credits include his debut 'Alien 3', then 'Se7en', 'The Game', 'Fight Club', 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', 'The Social Network', and 'Gone Girl' amongst others. This film is based on a script written by David Fincher's father Jack Fincher which he wrote in the '90's with David wanting to film it following 'The Game' in 1997 but it never eventuated because David wanted to shoot the film in black & white to maintain an authenticity of the period in which the film is set ie. the Hollywood of the 1930's and '40's. At that time no studio wanted to shoot a film in black and white and when father Jack died in 2003 the film was put on the back burner, until mid-2019 when Netflix International Pictures put the movie into production. The film has garnered positive critical acclaim, and went on a limited cinematic release from last week before streaming on Netflix from 4th December. 

The film opens up in 1940 with a car motoring along a dusty highway and turning off at Victorville and driving up to the North Verde Ranch where Herman K. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) alights from the vehicle on crutches, assisted by his good friend and writing collaborator John Houseman (Sam Troughton) and English typist Rita Alexander (Lily Collins) and a German nurse Fraulein Frieda (Monika Grossman). Mankiewicz (or 'Mank' as he shall be known) has a broken leg in three places from a recent motor vehicle accident. Laying down in an adapted bed he receives a phone call from Orson Welles (Tom Burke) about a screenplay he has been commissioned to write in ninety days, only Welles tells him that he now has sixty days. Mank is not happy about the news but relents and accepts the direction from the Producer, Director and star of the upcoming film, which the studio, RKO Pictures, have given him complete creative control over - not bad for a 24 year old untried and largely unproven movie maker.

And so Mank gets to work on the script at the alcohol free ranch much to his chagrin, although he is able to get dosed up on bottles of barbiturates provided by Houseman instead of whisky, which has the effect of knocking him out cold for twelve hours at a time. Ultimately, Mank is able to smuggle in to the ranch a crate loaded full of his favoured whisky, unknown to Houseman. With Mank dictating the words to his script for Rita to write down long hand and then type up at night, the process is sporadic at best and with the sixty day deadline looming he has still only one hundred pages completed in what Houseman describes as beautifully written, but incoherent and too high brow for American audiences to grapple with for their 25cents cinema ticket price. Mank however, persists along his chosen path.

In the meantime, we see constant references and flashbacks to various key dates in the previous decade, and his meetings, run ins, business and personal relationships with the likes of screen Actress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried) and mistress to William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance) the famed American businessman, newspaper publisher and politician, whose life story was to be the main inspiration for Mank's screenplay of Charles Foster Kane - the lead character that would be portrayed by Orson Welles in the 1941 film 'Citizen Kane'. 

In addition we see his dealings with Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard) of Metro Goldwyn Mayer fame; prolific Hollywood film Producer Irving Thalberg (Ferdinand Kingsley); American film Producer, Screenwriter and Executive David O. Selznick (Toby Leonard Moore); Mank's brother and Director, Producer and Screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz (Tom Pelphrey) and of course Mank's long suffering but fiercely loyal wife Sara (Tuppence Middleton). 

And naturally there are sub-plots along the way that centre around Mank's heavy drinking and alcoholism (which would eventually kill him in 1952 at the age of just 55), his propensity to gamble on almost anything, the successful attempt by Irving Thalberg who was an MGM Studio Executive at the time to swing the 1934 California Governor's election against the socialist candidate Upton Sinclair (Bill Nye), and his declining relationship with Hearst, which culminates with a drunken rant by Mank at Hearst Castle at San Simeon aimed at Hearst and Mayer and in front of other Hollywood movers and shakers who all one by one get up and leave the dinner table out of disgust or embarrassment or both. And of course the ever looming deadline counting down on sixty days by which time Mank has his final draft of three hundred pages, but doubts that it is really any good until Houseman and brother Joseph tell him that it is probably his finest work. 

In the final analysis Mank's script for the film that would become 'Citizen Kane' was nominated for an Academy Award in every possible category, but won the award only for Best Original Screenplay for co-authors Mank and Orson Welles. Neither Welles nor Mankiewicz attended the dinner, which was broadcast on radio. Welles was in South America filming 'It's All True', and Mank refused to attend. George Schaefer, who was President of RKO Pictures in 1941 when the film was made, accepted Mank's Oscar in his absence. It should be noted that Mank and Welles clashed over the writing credit for 'Citizen Kane', with Welles reportedly offering Mank a bonus of US$10K if he would let Welles take full credit. Mank went to the Screen Writers Guild for a determination, and they eventually laid down a joint credit with Mank's name appearing first. Welles maintained that he had always intended to share the writing credit. 

'Mank' is a beautifully shot film looking as though it was filmed in the late 1930's in crisp black and white by Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt; the dialogue is sharp, emotive and mature; the production values top notch; and the cast are all uniformly good but special mention must go to Gary Oldman who once again inhibits his character in every sense and every scene - just as he did with his Academy Award winning turn as Winston Churchill in 2017's 'Darkest Hour'. And Fincher here has crafted a film that serves as a stirring footnote to Hollywood's 'Golden Age' of domineering studios, those who ran them, and the rot that lurked largely hidden beneath. The film is entertaining, thought provoking, stylishly made, has a haunting soundtrack by regular musical collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and Fincher has here once again proven that he is right up among the best that Hollywood has to offer and is at the top of his game. Oscar bait for sure and worthy of repeat viewing that will be right up the street of every cinephile, but if you're not one of those, then there is a chance this film will be lost on you.

'Mank' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve at Odeon Online-

GHOSTBUSTERS : Thursday 21st July 2016.

For nostalgic reasons I saw 'GHOSTBUSTERS' last week having been undecided about viewing this all female reboot given the mixed publicity it has so far received. The original 'Ghostbusters' film was released in 1984 and was Directed and Produced by Ivan Reitman, Written by Dan Aykroyd who also starred as Ray Stanz, and starred Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler and Bill Murray as Peter Venkman - making up the threesome of parapsychologists, ghost hunters and spectre busters. That film was made for US$30M and returned US$295M and was also a critical success having been nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Ray Parker Jnr's. signature tune as Best Original Song. Based on this success 'Ghostbusters II' was released in 1989 with the same cast reprising their roles for US$37M and returning US$215M. During its time there were also two animated television series, a number of video game releases, a comic book adaptation, merchandise, and the film has seen several cinematic re-releases in more recent years. And now, in 2016, we have a reboot for a whole new audience, but this time with a budget of US$144M, and Paul Feig in the Directors chair and Co-Scripting, with Ivan Reitman Co-Producing, with both Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd appearing in cameo roles. So far the film has made US$123M.

Here we have an all female cast of ghost hunters and catchers continuing the work laid out by Stanz, Venkman and Spengler 30 years ago, although you wouldn't know it, and still in Noo Yawk City. This time, paranormal researcher Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and physicist Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) are largely unsuccessful and uncared about authors who believe that ghosts are real and are among us in everyday society having written a book about it years earlier. Fast track a few years and Gilbert lands her dream job at Columbia University, and Yates continues here work at a Technical College ably assisted by whacky & other worldly engineer Dr. Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). When her book resurfaces unexpectedly Gilbert tries to deny all knowledge and distances herself from that earlier now frowned upon publication. She searches out her estranged friend and co-author Yates to halt further sales and publicity of the book for fear that it might cost her the hard earned job at Columbia, and her reputation.

When their meeting doesn't quite go according to plan the three girls are called out unexpectedly to a sighting of a ghost at New York's longest standing still intact inside and outside historical homestead that is believed to be haunted but never confirmed . . . until now that is! When the presence of a real life nether worldly spectre is confirmed and it's none to friendly, the video footage evidence is posted to social media but is quickly debunked as a fake. Gilbert's belief in the paranormal is however, reignited, but it costs her the position at Columbia that she had fought and studied so hard for. When Yates and Holtzmann seek additional funding for their research now that they have concrete evidence, the rug is also pulled from under them, and they find themselves out on the street too. With their new found proof and belief in life hereafter, the three team up and open 'The Department of Metaphysical Examination' above a Chinese Restaurant.

They newly formed team settle in and Holtzmann sets about quickly upgrading their ghost hunting equipment. At the same time they advertise for an office administrator and receptionist. The only applicant is Kevin Beckman (Chris Hemsworth) - a dim-witted, clueless but handsome and well meaning type that immediately catches the eye of Gilbert, and within a heartbeat he is hired. Shorty afterwards the office receives a call of a ghostly presence in the subway. Going to investigate they meet up with New York 's finest long standing and long suffering MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) Attendant Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) who takes them into the subway at the location of the sighting, and sure enough - there they encounter, but fail to capture, another ghost. However, they have captured more photographic evidence and tested out Holtzmann's latest proton containment laser device, but again their evidence is dismissed as fake by one world authority on such matters Martin Heiss (Bill Murray).

The team carry on unabated and none too worried about their lack of concrete evidence or the naysayers who dismiss their findings. Holtzmann continues to develop more sophisticated ghost hunting and containment gizmo's, and the team, now joined by Tolan because of her historic and geographical knowledge of NYC, is able to borrow a hearse from an Uncle, which the team have customised to suit their needs and call it 'Ecto-1'. By now the media are referring to the team as the 'Ghostbusters' as their presence on the streets becomes more frequent and there are increasing reports of other worldly spectres and poltergeists running amok.

What the team don't know yet is that one lowly hotel janitor, Rowan North (Neil Casey) has been dabbling in the occult for sometime and using Gilbert & Yates book as a source of reference to bring about a cataclysmic apocalypse that will see the dead rise up and bring an end to the world as we know it. He plants a devise at a heavy metal rock concert (watch out for the Ozzy Osbourne cameo) to summons an evil ghost to show the world what he is capable of, and set the scene for the start of his apocalypse. As the concert gets underway the evil spirit is released, the Ghostbusters are called in and using their latest developed ghost containment technology, they capture their first ghost - in front of hundreds of concert goers.

The Ghostbusters are then quickly escorted off to see Mayor Bradley (Andy Garcia) who thanks them for their support & assistance and advises that Homeland Security were well aware of New York's ghost problem, but must debunk their work and brand them as fraudsters to avoid panic in the streets, whilst in private supporting their efforts. The team come to realise that North is has been planting various ghost release devises along New York's ley lines which come to intersect at The Mercado Hotel in Times Square which has historical significance as a place riddled with paranormal activity. It is here that North works as a janitor, and in the basement he has built a portal to the other side, and at the flick of a switch the ghosts and evil spirits will cross over into our dimension. Cornered in the basement by the Ghostbusters North electrocutes himself to avoid capture, but this is part of his cunning plan to return as an all powerful ghost to rule over those he has released. Before doing so though his spirit first possesses Yates then Beckman who flicks the switch in the basement so releasing those ghosts and ghoulish entities upon an unsuspecting New York City.

With the Ghostbusters mobilised once again and armed to the teeth with more hurriedly assembled technologically advanced ghost busting weaponry, the team of four gals go head to head with all manner of evil spirits intent on trashing the city, as they seek to get to the portal and close it. Meanwhile, North has manifested himself into a giant evil form of the Ghostbusters logo, and begins trampling all over the city and tearing at its tower blocks and skyscrapers whilst commanding a legion to thwart the ghost busting girls. Needless to say four tooled up girls is enough to overcome hundreds of evil malevolent larger than life ghosts, ghouls and spectres on any day, and of course they do, so allowing them to reach the portal and drive Ecto-1 with its roof mounted nuclear reactor into the portal so creating a total protonic reversal and returning everything back to normality and the ghosts, ghouls, phantoms and spectres back to their own nether worldly dimension.

Having saved the city from near certain doom, Mayor Bradley secretly agrees to fund without question and without limitation their continued research, whilst publicly denouncing them as fraudsters. The Ghostbusters relocate to a much larger premises in a disused fire station, and in a closing scene the team congregate on the roof top of their new premises to see the city light up with messages of thanks and gratitude from the people of the New York. Wait for the closing credits sequences to see the set up for a possible sequel and another cameo, from Sigourney Weaver joining Dan Aykroyd who appears as a cab driver and proclaims "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost!"

Judging by the mixed reviews this film has received I went in with fairly low expectations but was pleasantly surprised. That said, the film presents exactly what you would expect from this reboot for an audience probably unfamiliar with the original films. There is little new here, except the advances in movie making technology and FX that allow for bigger, bolder, better ghost busting and ghost capturing effects than we saw thirty years ago. There are a few laugh out loud moments in the film, but these are few and far between, and the banter between Yates and Gilbert began to grate on me after several of their one on one interchanges that just weren't funny. Hemsworth's Beckman does well enough with some dim-witted gags at his own expense, but seems to be just added eye-candy to balance out the four female leads. The focus is very much on Yates and Gilbert with Tolan and Beckman left wandering around the periphery with brief moments of action and dialogue, and Holtzmann basically quickly whipping up weapons of ghost mass destruction with little other purpose to serve - wasted talent here I think too! Worth a look on the big screen, but equally you can see it on your big screen at home and wait for the DVD/BluRay release.

 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE IMITATION GAME : Tuesday 6th January 2015.

2015 has arrived and with it a cracker of a film as one of the first new releases of the new year. I sat in a  three-quarter full theatre last night at the Cremorne Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace to watch 'THE IMITATION GAME' and was wowed by the story line, the history lesson, the manner in which this film unfolds and pulls you in, and by the performances of the principle cast led by Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role as the fractured, emotionally scarred real-life anti-hero Alan Turing. Cumberbatch gives his all to the portrayal of his character, in what has already been described as a career defining performance to date, and surely worthy of an Oscar nod.

The opening scene takes us back to 1951 and we see Turing sat in a Police interrogation room, head bowed waiting for the arrival of the interviewing Detective. Turing provides some voice over commentary and then we are whisked back to the early outbreak of the second World War and his arrival at Bletchley Park which is supposedly home to the armed forces radio command, but secretly houses an assembled crack team attempting to break encrypted Nazi communication code. Interviewed by Commander Denniston (Charles Dance) our mathematician genius Turing meets largely with ambivalence from the supervising Commander and is nearly dispatched from whence he came, except that on being shown the door he blurts out the word 'Enigma' - supposedly top secret and known only to the highest ranking privileged few.

Turing announces that he has the best mathematical mind in the world and that he likes puzzles and problem solving, that he can break the Nazi Enigma Code and in so doing save the lives of millions and help bring the war to an end. Enter Stuart Menzies (Mark Strong) a high ranking official in MI6 who takes Turing under his wing despite the obvious disdain shown by Denniston who has developed an intense dislike for Turing. With endorsement from Sir Winston Churchill himself Turing is appointed lead of the team of recruited mathematicians, cryptologists and sundry other experts to work on breaking Enigma. Along the way Turing fires various dead weights from the team and appoints a couple of others - one is Joan Clarke (Keira Knightly) - a female (of all things!) mathematical genius whom Turing instantly takes a shine to.

As this unfolds we learn of Turing's past and we are taken back to his young teenage school days in the late 1920's at the private Sherborne Boy's School in rural Dorset, England. Turing is seen as an outsider, he does little to mix with the other boys and considers himself above the other far less intelligent boys in his class or indeed the school. As a result he is bullied, chided, beaten up mentally and physically and grows ever more inward. Only one other lad provides any solace - classmate Christopher Morcom (Jack Bannon) and the two form a close bond, and it is Christopher who introduces Turing to the world of cryptology, which he latches on to very quickly having such an acute mathematical mind.

To and fro we flit between 1951 and the WWII years. In the former Turing is under investigation by Detective Robert Nock (Rory Kinnear) because of a break in at Turing's home which was seemingly turned upside down but nothing was reported stolen. This leads Nock to think that all is not quite as it seems so starts digging deeper, ultimately learning that Turing is homosexual - and such acts of 'indecency' were illegal in the England of the 1950's. Nock attempts to learn more of Turing's history and other that knowing that he is a Professor of Mathematics from Cambridge, there is no data from what he did in the war - these are 'Classified' and simply don't exist - they have been erased completely we learn.

As for the latter, Turing heading up his Team have a seemingly impossible task given that the Enigma codes change every day at midnight. When the Nazi's start broadcasting at about 6:00am Bletchely Park can intercept unto 3,000 radio messages a day giving Turing and his team only 18 hours to decipher and crack the code before they have to reboot and start from scratch again the next morning. This carries on for years and is a manual process, and all the while Turing is building his own 'computer' that he has designed and knows will work, but at a cost to the Home Office of 100,000 pounds sterling at the time there are few that share his faith - even in his own team whom he has alienated because of his obsessive uncaring behaviour toward them. Meanwhile Denniston is breathing down his neck to get results as the war rolls on and the body count gets ever higher by the day.

Eventually Turing's code breaking machine (which he has called 'Christopher') springs into life with revolving wheels, cogs, dials and wires all tuned into the Enigma codes which are intercepted daily. But the wheels, cogs and dials keep on whirring, clanging and turning with no results forthcoming - something is missing! Eventually though that missing link is found and 'Christopher' comes good and the Nazi's Enigma codes are broken. Needless to say it doesn't end there though as there unfolds a moral dilemma surrounding the team and how they should best approach this new found intelligence they have over the Nazi's war effort. Here Stuart Menzies comes into his own as the MI6 representative weaving conspiracy theories at the very highest political level to ensure that the Nazi's and their allies aren't made aware that the English and her allies have broken the code.

All comes good in the end - the war comes to a halt in 1945 and the closing scene tells us that Turing's efforts helped save the lives of 14 million and brought the war to a premature end probably by up to two years had Enigma not been broken. Turing though never received any credit for his efforts - was convicted in 1951 for 'indecency' and committed suicide in 1954 allegedly by eating a cyanide laced apple. After the war he continued to work on 'thinking' machines borne out of his work in developing 'Christopher' during the war, and in many respects it is Turing who laid the foundations for the devices we use today in our everyday lives and take for granted - computers!

Directed by Morten Tyldum, this true story historical drama is certainly worthy of the 34 awards wins it has already garnered and the 63 award nominations it has thus far received including five Golden Globe nominations and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. Cumberbatch shines in this role and delivers his strongest characterisation yet pulling you in to his fractured, emotional, helpless, obsessive and misunderstood world; Keira Knightly very ably supports as the very intelligent young girl torn between duty to family and duty to her country at a time when women were considered only good for secretarial and office administrative duties . . . or nursing! And then Mark Strong, Charles Dance and the team of assembled cryptologists all provide solid, strong support in the roles they play that collectively add up to a film that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Watch out for the Oscar buzz, and a great start to the 2015 film season. Catch it on the big screen while you can.

   

-Steve, at Odeon Online-