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Jos\xe9 hasn\u2019t seen a worse film from David Fincher than Mank, a contentious biopic of Herman J. Mankiewicz, the screenwriter whose collaboration with Orson Welles resulted in The Greatest Film of All Time\u2122, Citizen Kane. Mike had rather a good time, despite seeing numerous problems with the film, raising the question: How much background knowledge is the right amount for enjoying Mank?\n\nMank doesn\u2019t even explain, for instance, that the film Mankiewicz and Welles would create is considered one of history\u2019s greatest, so some knowledge of the subject is clearly necessary; too much, though, and its missed opportunities and purposeful alterations to and adaptations of the facts become evident and impossible to ignore. Mike finds that he\u2019s just ignorant \u2013 or is that informed \u2013 enough to understand the film\u2019s background and setting without going crazy, as Jos\xe9 does, as it clashes with his knowledge of the history.\n\nWe discuss Mank\u2018s obvious inspiration in Pauline Kael\u2019s discredited essay, Raising Kane, which argued that Mankiewicz deserved sole credit for Kane\u2018s screenplay; its flashback structure that shows us where the screenplay came from and why Mankiewicz is the only person who could have written it; its depiction of Hollywood in the 30s (not to mention Mankiewicz in HIS 30s); the parallels that it draws with Hollywood and, more generally, the state of the world today, and more. Almost every criticism Jos\xe9 makes, Mike agrees with \u2013 but he cannot and will not deny that he had a good time, finding the film witty and energetic where Jos\xe9 felt it musty and lethargic. It\u2019s a poor showing from a filmmaker with a largely exceptional oeuvre \u2013 unless you\u2019re in that Goldilocks zone with Mike.\n\nRecorded on 6th December 2020.