by Josh Sewell
Mank
(Rated R for some language. Now playing in select theaters and available on Netflix starting December 4.)
The cast: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tuppence Middleton and Charles Dance.
What it’s about: Set in 1930s Hollywood, David Fincher directs this fact-based tale of screenwriter and raging alcoholic Herman J. Mankiewicz (Oldman) as he writes Citizen Kane for wunderkind Orson Welles (Tom Burke). As Mank dictates his ideas to his trusted assistant (Collins), we see flashbacks to pivotal moments in his life that serve as inspiration for his future masterpiece – including his interactions with newspaper titan William Randolph Hearst (Dance) and his stunning wife Marion Davies (Seyfried).
The good: Fincher hasn’t lost a step since 2014’s Gone Girl, the last time he helmed a feature. In fact, his skills might’ve somehow gotten even better. That’s because Mank is meticulously crafted to look just like a movie from the era it’s simultaneously critiquing and paying tribute to.
Erik Messerschmidt’s cinematography feels both vintage and modern, taking advantage of the entirely black-and-white film to experiment with lighting and shadows in absorbing ways. The score, courtesy of frequent Fincher collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, nails the era’s musical accompaniment while enhancing the movie’s characters and dramatic stakes.
Still, the most joyous aspect of the otherwise cerebral Mank is its sharp, witty screenplay (credited to Jack Fincher, the director’s late father). The crackling dialogue gives Oldman and Seyfried plenty of opportunities to dazzle with their outstanding performances, especially when they share scenes together. I’ll be shocked if they don’t receive Oscar nominations.
The not-so-good: I can’t imagine how Mank will play with viewers who’ve never seen Citizen Kane. I’m a huge cinephile who loves that film, so I noticed fairly quickly that Fincher’s movie structures itself similarly to Welles’ masterpiece, down to its use of flashbacks, deep focus and a frequently unlikable protagonist. But I suspect people who stumble across it while scrolling through Netflix are going to wonder what the heck they’re watching. Oh, well. If it causes them to seek out Citizen Kane for the first time, I won’t complain.
Grade: A-
Another Round
(Not rated, but contains pervasive drinking, strong language and brief sexual content. Opens in limited release December 4 and available On Demand starting December 18.)
The cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang and Lars Ranthe.
What it’s about: In this Danish film from acclaimed director Thomas Vinterberg (who cowrote the screenplay with Tobias Lindholm), four middle-aged friends (Mikkelsen, Larsen, Millang and Ranthe) find themselves stuck in a rut with their careers and marriages. That changes when one of them suggests testing out an obscure philosopher’s theory: he believed maintaining a constant blood alcohol level of 0.05 would lead to less anxiety, while increasing self-confidence and happiness. At first, the experiment is a success, but as the group pushes past the recommended level, their long-simmering issues explode.
The good: In the U.S., Mikkelsen is known primarily for playing creepy villains in Hannibal, Doctor Strange and Casino Royale. However, in his native Denmark he’s a trained dancer and gymnast who has starred in several hit comedies. In Another Round, he gets to demonstrate his various talents in one of the year’s best performances. After the film’s outstanding final scene, I knew he’d shot to the top tier of my picks for Best Actor.
Vinterberg’s film is an intense viewing experience, full of sudden tonal shifts and complicated characters making frustrating decisions. In that respect, it reminded me a lot of Martin McDonagh’s phenomenal In Bruges. The gang’s camaraderie in early scenes is infectious, so when the story takes a dark turn, it makes sense they’d follow one another to the experiment’s seemingly inevitable outcome.
Another Round also nails what it’s like to be around drunk people, eschewing the typical way annoying actors play drunk. Most folks who practice “poor cocktail management” (as one of my former colleagues brilliantly stated) don’t like to draw attention to the fact that they’re drunk. Instead, they do a really bad job of pretending to be sober.
The not-so-good: The film isn’t for everyone – whether it’s the subject matter or because foreign films sadly feel like homework to some viewers. However, those willing to take a chance will be rewarded with a compelling story and incredible performances.
Grade: A-
Happiest Season
(Rated PG-13 for some language. Now available on Hulu.)
The cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Mary Holland, Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza.
What it’s about: Abby (Stewart) decides to propose to her girlfriend Harper (Davis) over Christmas, which is when she’ll also meet Harper’s parents (Steenburgen and Garber) for the first time. There’s just one problem: her girlfriend’s family doesn’t know she’s a lesbian. Abby decides to keep quiet, pretending they’re just roommates, because Harper swears she’ll tell her parents everything once the holiday stress is behind them. However, after they arrive, Harper reverts back to her closeted persona, causing Abby to wonder if she really knows her girlfriend at all.
The good: Happiest Season is a cheesy, melodramatic romcom that wouldn’t feel out of place on the Hallmark Channel in December. Lest you think that’s an insult, I had a blast watching great actors make ridiculous storylines seem plausible and even brushed away a few tears by the end. Perhaps true equality means that everyone gets to see themselves in a sappy love story full of twinkling lights, bulky sweaters and contrived, drawn-out misunderstandings that could be solved with a simple conversation.
It helps that the cast is packed with actors – pardon the cliché – who I’d watch as they read a phone book. Stewart often gets a bad rap because of those awful Twilight flicks, but her choices since then have been strong. She’s fantastic here, making Abby funny and endearing, so that when someone hurts her you immediately want them to pay.
Levy (doing a victory lap after the end of his wonderful sitcom Schitt’s Creek) is hilarious as Abby’s best friend and gets to deliver a heartwarming monologue in the final moments. Plaza is also terrific as a woman from Harper’s past who understands what Abby is going through.
The not-so-good: The film, directed by Clea DuVall (who cowrote the screenplay with Mary Holland, who also plays Harper’s adorably weird sister Jane), doesn’t do anything revolutionary with the romcom genre, but that’s by design. Happiest Season is intended to be Christmas comfort food. My biggest gripe is slightly spoilerly, so I’ll be vague: by the end, I thought Abby ended up with the wrong person. While she gets her happy ending – not exactly shocking in a romcom – her chemistry with another character is so off-the-charts incredible that I was a little bummed DuVall didn’t pull a bait and switch.
Grade: B
E-mail: joshsewell81@gmail.com
Twitter: @IAmJoshSewell
Website: flixchat.blogspot.com
Mank
 |
| Courtesy of Netflix |
(Rated R for some language. Now playing in select theaters and available on Netflix starting December 4.)
The cast: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tuppence Middleton and Charles Dance.
What it’s about: Set in 1930s Hollywood, David Fincher directs this fact-based tale of screenwriter and raging alcoholic Herman J. Mankiewicz (Oldman) as he writes Citizen Kane for wunderkind Orson Welles (Tom Burke). As Mank dictates his ideas to his trusted assistant (Collins), we see flashbacks to pivotal moments in his life that serve as inspiration for his future masterpiece – including his interactions with newspaper titan William Randolph Hearst (Dance) and his stunning wife Marion Davies (Seyfried).
The good: Fincher hasn’t lost a step since 2014’s Gone Girl, the last time he helmed a feature. In fact, his skills might’ve somehow gotten even better. That’s because Mank is meticulously crafted to look just like a movie from the era it’s simultaneously critiquing and paying tribute to.
Erik Messerschmidt’s cinematography feels both vintage and modern, taking advantage of the entirely black-and-white film to experiment with lighting and shadows in absorbing ways. The score, courtesy of frequent Fincher collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, nails the era’s musical accompaniment while enhancing the movie’s characters and dramatic stakes.
Still, the most joyous aspect of the otherwise cerebral Mank is its sharp, witty screenplay (credited to Jack Fincher, the director’s late father). The crackling dialogue gives Oldman and Seyfried plenty of opportunities to dazzle with their outstanding performances, especially when they share scenes together. I’ll be shocked if they don’t receive Oscar nominations.
The not-so-good: I can’t imagine how Mank will play with viewers who’ve never seen Citizen Kane. I’m a huge cinephile who loves that film, so I noticed fairly quickly that Fincher’s movie structures itself similarly to Welles’ masterpiece, down to its use of flashbacks, deep focus and a frequently unlikable protagonist. But I suspect people who stumble across it while scrolling through Netflix are going to wonder what the heck they’re watching. Oh, well. If it causes them to seek out Citizen Kane for the first time, I won’t complain.
Grade: A-
Another Round
 |
| Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn |
(Not rated, but contains pervasive drinking, strong language and brief sexual content. Opens in limited release December 4 and available On Demand starting December 18.)
The cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang and Lars Ranthe.
What it’s about: In this Danish film from acclaimed director Thomas Vinterberg (who cowrote the screenplay with Tobias Lindholm), four middle-aged friends (Mikkelsen, Larsen, Millang and Ranthe) find themselves stuck in a rut with their careers and marriages. That changes when one of them suggests testing out an obscure philosopher’s theory: he believed maintaining a constant blood alcohol level of 0.05 would lead to less anxiety, while increasing self-confidence and happiness. At first, the experiment is a success, but as the group pushes past the recommended level, their long-simmering issues explode.
The good: In the U.S., Mikkelsen is known primarily for playing creepy villains in Hannibal, Doctor Strange and Casino Royale. However, in his native Denmark he’s a trained dancer and gymnast who has starred in several hit comedies. In Another Round, he gets to demonstrate his various talents in one of the year’s best performances. After the film’s outstanding final scene, I knew he’d shot to the top tier of my picks for Best Actor.
Vinterberg’s film is an intense viewing experience, full of sudden tonal shifts and complicated characters making frustrating decisions. In that respect, it reminded me a lot of Martin McDonagh’s phenomenal In Bruges. The gang’s camaraderie in early scenes is infectious, so when the story takes a dark turn, it makes sense they’d follow one another to the experiment’s seemingly inevitable outcome.
Another Round also nails what it’s like to be around drunk people, eschewing the typical way annoying actors play drunk. Most folks who practice “poor cocktail management” (as one of my former colleagues brilliantly stated) don’t like to draw attention to the fact that they’re drunk. Instead, they do a really bad job of pretending to be sober.
The not-so-good: The film isn’t for everyone – whether it’s the subject matter or because foreign films sadly feel like homework to some viewers. However, those willing to take a chance will be rewarded with a compelling story and incredible performances.
Grade: A-
Happiest Season
 |
| Courtesy of Hulu |
(Rated PG-13 for some language. Now available on Hulu.)
The cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Mary Holland, Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza.
What it’s about: Abby (Stewart) decides to propose to her girlfriend Harper (Davis) over Christmas, which is when she’ll also meet Harper’s parents (Steenburgen and Garber) for the first time. There’s just one problem: her girlfriend’s family doesn’t know she’s a lesbian. Abby decides to keep quiet, pretending they’re just roommates, because Harper swears she’ll tell her parents everything once the holiday stress is behind them. However, after they arrive, Harper reverts back to her closeted persona, causing Abby to wonder if she really knows her girlfriend at all.
The good: Happiest Season is a cheesy, melodramatic romcom that wouldn’t feel out of place on the Hallmark Channel in December. Lest you think that’s an insult, I had a blast watching great actors make ridiculous storylines seem plausible and even brushed away a few tears by the end. Perhaps true equality means that everyone gets to see themselves in a sappy love story full of twinkling lights, bulky sweaters and contrived, drawn-out misunderstandings that could be solved with a simple conversation.
It helps that the cast is packed with actors – pardon the cliché – who I’d watch as they read a phone book. Stewart often gets a bad rap because of those awful Twilight flicks, but her choices since then have been strong. She’s fantastic here, making Abby funny and endearing, so that when someone hurts her you immediately want them to pay.
Levy (doing a victory lap after the end of his wonderful sitcom Schitt’s Creek) is hilarious as Abby’s best friend and gets to deliver a heartwarming monologue in the final moments. Plaza is also terrific as a woman from Harper’s past who understands what Abby is going through.
The not-so-good: The film, directed by Clea DuVall (who cowrote the screenplay with Mary Holland, who also plays Harper’s adorably weird sister Jane), doesn’t do anything revolutionary with the romcom genre, but that’s by design. Happiest Season is intended to be Christmas comfort food. My biggest gripe is slightly spoilerly, so I’ll be vague: by the end, I thought Abby ended up with the wrong person. While she gets her happy ending – not exactly shocking in a romcom – her chemistry with another character is so off-the-charts incredible that I was a little bummed DuVall didn’t pull a bait and switch.
Grade: B
E-mail: joshsewell81@gmail.com
Twitter: @IAmJoshSewell
Website: flixchat.blogspot.com
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