10 Films To Get You In The Mood For David Fincher's Mank
4. F For Fake
Another Orson Welles picture and perhaps the most unorthodox documentary made, Welles' film about a faker who writes a biography about another faker before going on to write a fake biography about a real man is certainly as complicated as it sounds. More to the point, it is a consummate piece of work and an excellent introduction to Welles' personality. That and it may just prime viewers to take Mank's version of events with a grain of salt.
F for Fake focuses primarily on Elmyr de Hory, recounting his career as an art forger, whilst using this and Elmyr's biographer Clifford Irving and his own hoax later in his career, faking a biography of Howard Hughes as background for a wider discussion of art and authenticity. If that all sounds complicated, don't worry: it's supposed to be. Welles relishes in the bewildering mix of fact and fiction he found in telling a true story about fakers.
As an introduction to Welles' personality, F for Fake is unmissable viewing, and with Welles featuring as a main character in Fincher's latest film, any would be Mank viewer should definitely do their homework. All that aside, F for Fake simply stands as one of the greatest and least appreciated masterpieces of cinema.