
Kelly Reichardt’s ninth film, The Mastermind, is her most ambitious project to date, but its scale is unique to her style. The movie is a heist story set in the fall of 1970 in Massachusetts, centering on a family man, James Blaine Mooney (played with brilliant vulnerability by Josh O’Connor), who intends to steal paintings from his town’s museum. Staying true to Reichardt’s approach, the film isn’t focused on the heist itself – which unfolds somewhat clumsily in the first act – but rather on the consequences that follow. It’s a film that finds excitement in surprising places, and, much like her previous work Showing Up, explores the relationship between art and making a living. These are themes the director – who has skillfully balanced filmmaking with teaching film at Bard College for many years – has had ample time to consider, even while concerned about current events.