Mank Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

Downs...

3. Not Enough Tom Burke Or Charles Dance

Mank boasts one of the most enviable ensemble casts of any movie released this year, and so it's not terribly surprising that not every actor gets their fair shake over the film's 131-minute runtime.

But there are two alluring performances in particular which just don't feel like they get nearly enough screen minutes to fully breathe.

First off, Tom Burke is incredible in his small role as Citizen Kane director and "co-writer" Orson Welles: his vocal register matches that of Welles' with a shocking authenticity, while also carrying the hefty aura of the man's sheer presence.

And while it bears repeating that this is a movie centered on Mankiewicz rather than Kane or Welles, it's a shame that Fincher didn't give Burke more to do, because he's absolutely terrific for his 10-ish minutes of screen time.

Charles Dance is also remarkable in a small part as William Randolph Hearst, the real-life media mogul who famously served as the inspiration for Welles' Citizen Kane protagonist Charles Foster Kane.

Again, Dance is terrific in the few scenes he gets, but his truncated role doesn't quite allow the character to feel fully fleshed out.