Cindy Prascik's Review of Mank

 

My dearest reader(s): One of the sad casualties of 2020 has been what I will snobbishly call "cinema-worthy" movies, that is, movies that don't feel like they were made for TV. Sure, there have been some, but the pickings have been slim. I am pleased to report that last week Netflix threw a solid entry into the skimpy awards season fray with its original picture, Mank, the reasonably true story behind the writing of Citizen Kane.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer or if you're familiar with actual events, which, I assure you, I am not.

Disclaimers, away!

Folks, I hate old movies. That may seem like a weird thing to hear from someone who spends three-quarters of her free time watching movies, but it is the gods' honest truth. If it was made before 1970 and it's not the Wizard of Oz or something with the Marx Brothers, no thank you. Citizen Kane is frequently cited as one of the greatest — if not *the* greatest — films of all time. I couldn't be less interested. Mank is made in the style of those classic, old, black-and-white movies, and that certainly didn't help me warm to it.

On the flip side, Gary Oldman remains my favorite actor in the known universe, and my life has been way too short on Gary Oldman lately. Heck, for the last two years I haven't even had time to make my (in?)famous Gary Calendar; instead I've had to buy premade calendars, and I can assure you, those don't come in "Gary Oldman." A new Gary Oldman movie definitely represents one of 2020's few bright spots.

Art is, by nature, subjective, but, by any objective criteria I can mark, Mank is a pretty good movie. The story is interesting and well-told, jumping from Herman Mankiewicz toiling over the film's screenplay while recuperating after an automobile accident to flashbacks (always notated as they would be in a script) that give us the backstory: Who is Mankiewicz, and how did he end up where he is? Gary Oldman is nothing short of brilliant (she says with maybe a hint of bias), and I think Oscar buzz around his performance is well founded. The supporting cast is very much up to snuff as well, with solid work from Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tuppence Middleton, Sam Troughton, Tom Burke (yay!), and the always brilliant Jamie McShane. Directed by David Fincher, with a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Mank also represents a little reunion of some people who helped create the film that *I* consider the greatest of all time: the Social Network. Other than running a little longer than it needs to, there's nothing practical I can call out as a negative, BUT...I struggled to get through Mank all the same. I was bored enough that at one point I had to put my phone in a drawer I couldn't reach to keep from goofing off instead of paying attention. If you're reading this, I guess you're interested in my honest opinion, so there it is: Mank is a good movie that I didn't like very much, but Gary Oldman makes it worth watching (as he always does).

Mank clocks in at 131 minutes and is rated R for "some language."

Give Gary Oldman another Oscar now, please and thank you. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Mank gets seven.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of Fisherman's Friends

 

My dear reader(s): The week being absent any interesting new releases at the cinema, I picked the bones of my streaming services and turned up a 2019 nugget called Fisherman's Friends, which appears to be at least reasonably new to Netflix. 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or by following actual events on which the film is based. 

A group of English fishermen finds its way to unlikely pop stardom. 

Fisherman's Friends features a solid cast led by James Purefoy, Daniel Mays, and Tuppence Middleton. The comedy's a bit forced, and the film's predictability takes any real tension off the table, but Fisherman's Friends boasts lovely scenery, some terrific folk songs, and a uniquely British charm. It's no edge-of-your-seat movie, but it's the perfect antidote for the tensions of the week just passed. 

Fisherman's Friends clocks in at 112 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some strong language and suggestive references." 

If you're looking for some cinematic comfort food this weekend, Fisherman's Friends is the perfect menu option. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Fisherman's Friends gets six and a half. 

Fisherman's Friends is now streaming on Netflix. 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: POSSESSOR UNCUT

 

An elite assassin uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies.

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Release Date: October 2, 2020

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Unrated

Runtime: 1 h 43 min

Review:

Possessor Uncut is shocking sci-fi thriller from Brandon Cronenberg which shows him following in his father’s footsteps.  His film has a disquieting feel from its opening frames but it quickly moves to violently gruesome.  The visceral shock of the violence is incredibly pointed since the film doesn’t use it regularly but when it does it’s a sucker punch.  The story itself is ripe for exploration and you’ll be hard pressed if you didn’t notice some similarities to his father’s earlier works.  The film’s visuals are incredibly striking throughout with some shots composed in such a way that they elicit dread without any action occurring.  Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott get the lion’s share of the screen time with the latter carrying the better part of the film.  Abbott is tasked with two roles which are being played out in his mind which sounds like complicated but he makes it work in a believable manner.  It’s an impressive performance which is really a showcase for his talents.  Riseborough doesn’t get nearly as much screen time but when she’s onscreen she leaves a haunting impression.  Cronenberg’s film will never be considered subtle but there are moments where a less is more approach to violence might have worked in the films favor.  Still, Possessor Uncut is the type of mind bender that will stay in genre fans minds long after it’s over.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: TRANCE

A thieving art auctioneer seeks the help of an alluring hypnotherapist in order to repair his damaged memory and recover the treasured Goya painting that he stashed following a brazen heist in this kinetic thriller reteaming Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle with Trainspotting and Shallow Grave screenwriter John Hodge.. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson, Danny Sapani, Tuppence Middleton.

Release Date: Apr 05, 2013

Rated R for language, Graphic Nudity, Sexual Content, Some Grisly Images and Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.

Genres: Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Danny Boyle’s pulse pounding techno noir film Trance is a mind bending assault on the senses. It starts off with a wonderfully shot heist that provides the mcguffin for the plot. Once Rosario Dawson’s character is introduced it’s easy to wonder what’s real and what’s not. It’s a film that’s best during the journey down the rabbit hole. It’s a bendy journey which borders on directorial excess but it’s never boring. The film and performances are all incredibly engaging even if the actual plot is a poorly built match stick castle which relies a little too much on chance. James McAvoy gives a wonderfully frazzled sweaty performance as the sort of lead. Rosario Dawson, sporting an impressive hair bun, is just luminous as the hypnotherapist. Dawson just commands the screen every time she’s on it regardless of how ludicrous the situation. Vincent Cassel character is underwritten but he’s always dependable. Boyle’s film would have faired better if it’d been left open ended since it’s so intent on playing games with our senses. Still it’s the type of film that’s probably worth revisiting.

B-