Peter Bodie puts his thinking hat on for his review of The Mastermind.
The Mastermind is a challenging proposition. Initially the attention of this reviewer in particular was attracted by a personal affiliation to the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. It turns out in this film, Framingham was used as a proxy for the city of Worcester, which is 20 miles up the Mass Turnpike from Framingham. In real life, the Worcester Museum of Art suffered the theft of several Rembrandt, Picasso and Gauguin paintings in 1972 during a particularly daring heist. The perpetrators of the original robbery were arrested a mere ten days later.
For the purposes of making this movie, however, the ensuing events are depicted in a disjointed style as a rather chaotic debacle. In fact, it might be best to ignore the source material altogether, as this substitution just lends another element of confusion to The Mastermind. As it happens, the movie was shot in Cincinnati so why Framingham was dragged in at all, remains a mystery.
Set in 1970, the cluttered narrative follows failed architect James Blaine Mooney (Josh O'Connor) and his team, as they manage to steal four paintings from a museum in broad daylight. A promising premise and great cast, and yet the actors are frequently stunned into motionless silence. The camera work too was ponderous, adding nothing to the capture the strong production design. No doubt the lighting was intentional, but could be described as underlit. Minimalism and realism can easily tip into boredom, especially weighted against the expectations of the genre.
So if you are a fan of static camera shots, you are in for a treat. If you like percussive jazz pieces as a movie soundtrack, you will also be delighted. However, if you are seeking something more, you may need to modify your expectations. Frustratingly little is explored or explained in terms of narrative. Why did this happen? Why didn’t that happen? Who moved the ladder? How could the key character, Mooney, be so inept? Was he delusional? No emotional motivation as to the purpose behind the robbery was explored. The list goes on, but the takeaway is ‘WHY?’
The Mastermind was written, directed and edited by Kelly Reichardt. Kelly, now in her 60s, has such a strong body of work behind her and a solid reputation. Her indie film First Cow (2019) earned over $4 million worldwide, while Showing Up (2022) was a critical and festival hit. The Mastermind is her ninth film. She has developed a very distinct personal style, focusing on marginal, working-class characters and slow plot revelation. Undoubtedly, she has a lot to offer creatively but in this instance The Mastermind simply fails to ignite.
The next time I select a film to watch, it will have nothing to do with where the movie is notionally set.
The Mastermind is in cinemas 24th October 2025.
