From a strategic standpoint, Reznor and Ross had to decide what type of personality to give Mank's score, for there were opportunities for countless big band jazz cues but also the interpersonal drama and quasi-suspense that begged for a straight emulation of Herrmann. To their credit and detriment, they opted to try both techniques at once, peppering the score with an extraordinary number of genuinely impressive source-like big band and foxtrot pieces original to this score. In between them is a long series of restrained, dramatic cues, some very clearly trying to resurrect Herrmann, culminating in one sappy, lush romance cue at the end. While conceptually fine, it's impossible to know how much credit to give Reznor and Ross for this music. The cynical skeptics in the crowd will be quick to acknowledge that these men were nowhere near capable of generating this music without a fair amount of help. And so stepped in orchestrator extraordinaire (and very competent composer in his own right) Conrad Pope to arrange the Herrmanneque portions of the score, Dan Higgins and Tim Gill to arrange the big band and foxtrot cues, and an army of orchestration assistance including one contributor for "orchestration realization." Another issue facing this score was the effect of the pandemic on the recording process, each of the 40 musicians having to be recorded separately and meticulously edited together. The package as a whole is an interesting listening experience but not always an engaging one. Reznor and Ross recorded an insane amount of music for Mank, an extended version of the soundtrack runs over three and a half hours in 87 tracks. (Among some minor complaints about the picture included those claiming that the movie had too much music in it.) Even the regular album runs over an hour and a half. The quality of the score simply cannot support either length of time, but not because of the big band and foxtrot portions. Sprinkled extensively into the first two-thirds of the score and featuring the straight big band performances far more often, these passages are quite admirable in their variety and authenticity. If assembled into their own lengthy suite of cues, they'd be a compelling tribute to the style of the era. There is a huge drawback to these recordings, however, and it is simply the intentionally muted and mono quality of these tracks, some seemingly including artificial tape hiss. While their archival sound quality was the whole point of the film, these recordings would be a blast to hear in modern sound quality.

Outside of the many ambitious big band and swooning foxtrot cues in Mank, Reznor and Ross tackle the straight underscore with reservation for much its length. There are thematic elements that carry over from the songs to the score, most notably the "All This Time" theme that is exercised through a whole range of emotions in the cues of that name from start to finish. The final "All This Time (Happily Ever After)" rendition is lovely on strings and piano, the score's most poignant and romantic moment by far. The ensemble for the score heavily emphasizes soloists, woodwinds and strings most prevalent. The somewhat somber and occasionally suspenseful tone of the score is established with Herrmann intrigue in "Welcome to Victorville," but do not expect the music to maintain the same depth in many of its other cues. With the romance and flair of the era addressed by the other arrangements, the score's less exuberant passages are generally restrained and sometimes barely audible. Reznor and Ross' more aggressive cues of dissonance often feature a 1930's version of their sound design: annoying percussive elements cobbled together to yield progressively more obnoxious tones in "Trapped!," "About Something," "Marion's Exit," and "Election Night-mare." Herrmann enthusiasts may either appreciate the clear, outright attempts at emulation or be despondent about them, this usage highlighted by an octave-bouncing woodwind figure over rattling percussion and sinister woodwinds previewed in "Trapped!" and maturing in "The Organ Grinder" and "The Organ Grinder's Monkey." The structure of the score's cues is not too accomplished, the theme from the "All This Time" cues opening "Clouds Gather," "An Idea Takes Hold," and "Marion's Exit" in nearly identical, tired fashion. Compared to the big band passages, these cues are often an extreme bore and occupy a significant amount of time due to the work's bloated length. The music may function well in the picture, but on album the experience is too variable and unengaging in the non-big band cues to sustain itself. The score's one original song, "(If Only You Could) Save Me," performed by Adryon de León, is a wonderful exception. For listeners curious about the expanded release provided to fans by Reznor and Ross for $25, the additional material contains unused cues and mostly demos of their ideas prior to orchestration. The additional cues don't contain outright necessities and, humorously, the sound of the synthetic demos is actually better than the final recordings. On the whole, Reznor and Ross acquit themselves with a lot of help from arrangers, but outside of the big band cues, the score lands with a monoaural thud.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download