Often described as his most passionate and ambitious film, David Fincher’s Mank is all set to enter the nominations race for the Best Director category at 2021 Oscars.
Already a recipient of two Oscar nominations, David Fincher’s passionate film “Mank” would win him his third nomination, and this time around, it could potentially be the one that will get him his due recognition.
“Mank” has already been unveiled by Netflix to film critics, and most of them consider the film to be a contender for next year’s Academy Awards. Should it happen, David Fincher would mark a return to the category almost a decade later (his last nomination win was for The Social Network). Fans’ agony would only increase if he does not win it this time, but it is what it is. They would be happy to know, though, that a nomination is almost certain.
Even if we are only considering the cinematography, “Mank” does not disappoint, and comparisons to the brilliance of Gravity and Mad Max: Fury Road are already being made. It’s a cinema’s loss that a film like “Mank” will not make its way to the big theaters, but the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz’s efforts to develop Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is an epitome of artistic achievement and in other words, a lesson to the aspiring filmmakers.
A film that transcends pop culture and defies all contemporary notions is, at its core, a piece of art that stays true to 1940s America, and if looked closely, it is just like any other historical film told in a modern world. With a touch of art, of course.
Most of the people who will see “Mank” will be pissed if the sound mixing team does not get an award in the next coming months. Trish Summerville (Emmy nominee), already a well-recognized name courtesy of her work in the series “Westworld,” is also a serious contender in the Best Costumes category.
Don’t be surprised if “Mank” sweeps it all next season, and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t. Many worthy films haven’t won an Oscar, so it shouldn’t be a surprise. And if you ask David Fincher about it, he doesn’t care. For all the passion and commitment he has shown for the project, you can bet his reasons for making such a film goes well beyond any materialistic victory.
However, as things stand on paper, only “One Night in Miami” and Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” should be chosen above “Mank” if at all. Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” could also come out as a surprise winner, but the chances are slim.
Academy Award nomination of “Mank” should not be bad news for Netflix, who will enter the most prestigious podium on planet earth for the second time in a row (last year, Martin Scorsese’s Irishman also won a nomination but lost to “Parasite”).
Netflix would also be in the race courtesy of the independent films that it has bought from Venice, Toronto, and other parts of the world.
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