In early-1970s Framingham, Massachusetts, taciturn family man James (Josh O’Connor) makes the rash, largely inscrutable decision to orchestrate a heist at the local art museum, absconding with a selection of modern paintings — without much of a plan. This autumnal, restrained and often quite funny anti-thriller from Kelly Reichardt (FIRST COW, MEEK’S CUTOFF) sets this low-key criminal enterprise against a Nixon-era backdrop of alienation and political disillusionment. As always, Reichardt’s impeccable craft is front and center — the film’s naturalism and remarkable period detail creating a portrait of unerring authenticity and psychological mystery. Whether driven by social apathy or artistic passion, James — effortlessly played by O’Connor with hangdog elegance — registers as a compelling update of the ’70s American male loner archetype for another dispiriting, directionless time. (Synopsis from the 63rd New York Film Festival)
“Crackingly, urgently alive, an assured and magnificent addition to an already storied body of work…. With a career-best performance by Josh O'Connor, it’s a sharply incisive and often darkly funny gem that bolsters Reichardt’s reputation as one of our finest living filmmakers.” —Chase Hutchinson, IGN “With an anti-eco-thriller, an anti-buddy-road-movie and a couple of anti-Westerns under her belt, Kelly Reichardt may never have met a genre she couldn’t meticulously deconstruct. But rarely has she done so with such offbeat wit and bluesy wisdom as with anti-heist movie THE MASTERMIND…. Very possibly her most accessible and enjoyable film to date, still it remains an unmistakably Reichardtian investigation into the fabric of ordinariness and what happens when it frays.” —Jessica Kiang, Variety “Reichardt’s edit (she’s written and edited all of her features since 2006) is like a triple-distilled spirit — clear, neat, and strong enough to knock you on your ass. Not a single shot is wasted. The willowy pace is lean and delicate; her cuts, soundless incisions in the story, give the narrative fresh room to breathe and smooth out the flow almost undetectably.” —Luke Hicks, The A.V. Club
