Time: 110 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Offensive language
Cast:
Josh O’Connor as James Blaine Mooney
Alana Haim asTerri Mooney
Hope Davis as Sarah Mooney
Bill Camp as Bill Mooney
John Magaro as Fred
Gaby Hoffmann as Maude
Director: Kelly Reichardt

The third of the New Zealand International Film Festival movies was Kelly Reichardt’s latest film, The Mastermind. All I knew about the movie going in is that it involved art theft and starred Josh O’Connor in the lead role. I didn’t love it, but I think it was solid on the whole.

The Mastermind begins as a movie about a smart person who plans and performs art heists. That’s the movie that most people would be expecting going in, and indeed the first act which has a lot of the heist action was my favourite part of the movie. However it’s a very different movie than expected, definitely not a heist movie and rather a deconstruction of such films. It is very much an anti genre movie and more as a character study. With its slow pacing, and patient and understated approach and brooding mood, The Mastermind won’t work for everyone and might turn people off. I was interested to see where it would go next but I wouldn’t say that I was invested as much as I hoped I would be, mainly in its middle portion. It does benefit from some dry comedy, and also concludes with a very fitting ending for this story and character.

Josh O’Connor gives a subtle, engaging and compelling performance in the lead role, and is captivating to watch. The supporting cast are solid, Alana Haim and John Magaro are decent but don’t get a lot to do here.

Kelly Richardt directed this quite well. It’s well shot, with some incredible tracking shots. The colour grading, tone and style really fits the 1970s setting, helped even further with the jazz score throughout.

The Mastermind is understated, slow burn, dryly humorous, well directed and has a great lead performance from Josh O’Connor.